Corpse Party: A tale from Byakudan High
by Xrross
Summary: Byakudan Senior High School. Nine friends stay behind after school to help clean up. When they're about to leave, one of them suggests they perform a mysterious charm. Now, they're trapped in an old, run down school. Can they find each other and escape? Or will they be driven apart and perish? Corpse Party, with the Byakudan students instead. Rated T for violence, cursing and Kai.
1. PROLOGUE

PROLOGUE

 _Beep! Beep! Beep!_

Yuuya Kizami groaned as he shut off his alarm clock and begrudgingly got out of bed. The morning was always his least favourite time of the day. It meant going downstairs to his worthless excuse for a family. Spending the day with his idiotic classmates was more preferable than five minutes with his parents. Kizami stretched his limbs before removing his pyjamas, and taking out his uniform. He always did his best to prolong dressing so he would have more time to prepare himself for the horrible task of eating breakfast with the people he was forced to live with. After pulling up his trousers, and sliding on his shirt (which he always left partly unbuttoned), he looked in the mirror as he attached his old silver chain to his trousers, smiling as he did. If there were two things he was sure he liked, it was mirrors and silver accessories. Mirrors because they showed the only person who was honest with him, himself. As for silver accessories... He just liked the way they way they looked. After he was finished, he slung his school blazer over his shoulder and walked downstairs.

His parents either didn't notice him, or pretended not to as Yuuya walked downstairs and got out some bread and butter. His older brother and sister had left for university a few years ago. While that left Yuuya with two less nuisances to deal with, it also left him to deal with his parents by himself. He sat down at the table and began eating his sandwich. His father, Seiji, was reading the newspaper, angling it so he didn't need to look his son in the face, while his mother, Shiori, was staring blankly into her cup of tea, as if it was more interesting then her own son. She probably thought it was. After a few minutes, Kizami finished his sandwich, stood up, picked up his bag, and left. His parents didn't even flinch.

Yuuya walked down his road silently, headed towards Byakudan Senior High School, the same horrid school his brother had attended. "Oi! Kizami!" Yuuya turned around to see his self-proclaimed best friend, Kensuke Kurosaki running towards him, a huge grin on his face as always. Unlike Kizami, Kurosaki actually wore his jacket properly, but still didn't wear the tie, claiming it was too tight, so his top button was always undone. Kizami inwardly shuddered as Kurosaki playfully slapped him on the back, before forcing a smile on his face.

"Hi, Kurosaki," he said. "I've really improved my stamina now!" The purple haired boy boasted. "I might be able to beat you in a race now huh!" Yuuya nodded as he pretended to listen to Kurosaki rambling on and on about God knows what, as he began wondering if anything of interest would happen today.

 _Probably not,_ he thought. _Just another day. No different from the last..._

(At the Kirisaki household)

 _"Ahh!" Tohko moaned in pleasure as Yuuya ran his lips all along her neck. "You taste so sweet Tohko," Yuuya whispered in a husky tone of voice. Tohko shuddered as his cool breath hit her neck. "Yuuya..." she whimpered as the handsome young man moved closer and closer towards her face. Tohko puckered up her lips and..._

 _Beep! Beep! Beep!_

Tohko Kirisaki opened her eyes, confused when she saw Yuuya wasn't by her side. "I guess it was another dream," she said, her face flushed red. This was just the most recent of dreams she'd had about one of her closest friends, Yuuya Kizami. The most kind, charming boy she'd ever seen. Just the thought of his soft black hair, his warm smile, his toned abs...

"No!" She told herself, trying to rid herself of impure thoughts. She had to get ready for school. However, as she got out of bed and took out out her uniform, her phone vibrated, telling her she'd got a text. She open her phone, and smiled when she saw it was from her best friend Emi Urabe. She opened the text and glazed over it.

 _Good morning Tohko! Still having dreams about your dear Kizami? Probably, since I've been standing outside your house for the past five minutes!_

Tohko slowly looked over at her clock. "8: 15!?" School starts in fifteen minutes! She'd overslept! Quickly, she changed out of her pyjamas, and hurriedly threw her uniform on, which consisted of a white sailor fuku with a green collar and a red bow, a green pleated skirt, white crew-cut socks and brown shoes.

 _I can't believe I spend that long dreaming of Yuuya!_ She thought to herself as she tied her big, white bow in her hair. _It can't be healthy! I mean, who would have so many dreams like that!_

(At the Shimada household)

 _Kai smirked at the sight before him. Tohko was panting heavily, her face flushed red, and both her shirt and skirt hitched up. "Heh, you're pretty excited aren't you," the redhead teased as he ran tongue over her pale neck. "Please Kai," Tohko begged. "I need you..." Kai's smirk grew even wider. "If you insist..." He said as he lifted up her shirt, and grabbed her soft, supple bre-_

 _Beep! Beep! Be- Crash!_

Kai Shimada's alarm clock flew towards the wall and smashed into several pieces as Kai lowered his arm. "Dammit..." He said as he groggily stood up and put the pieces in his bin. That was the fourth alarm he'd broken that month. And the second this week. "Kirisaki..." Kai groaned as he remembered the person his dream revolved around. She'd plagued his mind for almost a year now. He barley enjoyed his multiple girlfriends anymore. Shrugging, he slipped on his black shirt and necklace, before putting on his shirt and blazer over that, not bothering to button it up.

 _Why her?_ He thought as he rolled his sleeves up and clipped multiple black bracelets on his right arm. He'd fallen for a girl who he wasn't sure even liked him as a friend. _What makes her different? She doesn't even like me! She preferred guys like..._ Shimada ground his teeth in frustration. She loved _him_. That tall basterd. Mr. Perfect. The so called "clean and spotless" Yuuya Kizami. Kai pulled up his trousers, tightened his belt, and slapped on his watch before walking downstairs, a sour look on his face. He walked straight to the door, not bothered with breakfast, picked up his bag and opened the door. "I'm off!" He called, even though he knew parents were asleep, and shut the door.

As he began walking towards school, he noticed two familiar people in front of him, bickering. "I'm telling you Ryosuke, trying to stop me at this game is pointless!" Tomohiro Ohkawa warned. His best friend, Ryosuke Katayama, simply scoffed. "Come on Tomohiro. You do remember what happened last time you said that! I beat you so many times the PlayStation couldn't even keep up!" He taunted. "You're both pathetic," Kai groaned as he walked past. The two gasped in shock. "Try beat us in Call of Duty! Then we'll talk!" Katayama said angrily. Shimada simply ignored the two as he walked off.

"Does he seem little depressed to you?" Tomohiro asked. "Why are you asking me? He's YOUR boss!" Ryosuke said. Shimada often used Ohkawa to run errands, in exchange for free games. "Maybe someone mentioned Yuuya," the brown haired boy suggested before the two continued their journey.

(At Byakudan Senior High School)

Masato Fukuroi was walking through the gates, early as always. Unlike several of his friends, he was wearing the full uniform, fully buttoned, tie done, and shirt tucked in. As the student council president, he needed to set an example. His glasses gleamed slightly in the sunlight as he looked up at the school and smiled softly. He loved the quiet, calm atmosphere of the school before most of the students got here. He intended to go to the library and study for a while. However, a familiar voice made him turn around.

"Fukuroi!" Mitsuki Yamamoto, the student council secretary, ran up to him. As usual, her curly brown hair was tied with two round hair accessories. Fukuroi's face immediately lit up. "Ah! Mitsuki! I didn't expect you this early," he said. "I have to make sure your doing your job right?" Mitsuki replied. "Come on! We've got lots of planning to do for tomorrow!" She walked past Fukuroi, heading for the student council room. "Huh? What's tomorrow? Wait up!" Fukuroi yelled as he ran after Mitsuki.

 _Those two don't know when to shut up..._

Kai's mood slowly worsened as the two behind him rambled on and on about games. That's the only thing they ever talk about. Games and virtual girls. _Too chicken to get some real ass,_ Kai thought. Thankfully, they were now at the gates. Suddenly, the two stopped talking and ran ahead of the redhead. "Kurosaki!" Ohkawa called, having seen Kurosaki and Kizami walk in. "How you doing?" Kurosaki asked cheerfully. "Not bad!" Katayama replied. "So, how was that game I let you?" Before Kurosaki could replay, Tohko and Emi appeared around the corner. "Hello everyone!" Emi greeted, joy radiating from her as always. "How are you guys?" Tohko asked. "Not bad," the three boys said at once. "What about you Yuuya?" Tohko asked, a hint of red on her face. However, to her surprise, Kizami completely ignored her. Instead, he was focused squarely on Kai. The two tallest of the group were just staring blankly at each other. No emotions on either of their faces. Until, a smirk appeared on Kizami's face.

"Nice to see you're alright Shimada. You didn't seem so well when we meet yesterday evening," he said, his smirk never once leaving his face. Kai stiffened as he remembered what he had seen yesterday.

(The day before, after school)

"Ahhh! Another day done!" Kai said as he walked out of school. His pay from his last modelling job had come last night, and he brought a brand-new silver pendant that he hung from his necklace. He had turned even more heads than usual, and he was pretty sure that Kirisaki had snuck a quick look too, so he was in high spirits as he made his way home. However, as he turned the corner, he noticed someone walking in front of him. The person looked around, then quickly ducked into an alley. The person was far away, but he was taller than Kai, and had a Byakudan blazer over his shoulder. And Shimada only knew one person who was taller than him at school.

"HA! As if this couldn't get any better!" Kai laughed. He knew Kizami had a thing for silver jewellery as well, and couldn't resist the opportunity to make his rival jealous. He quickly ran down to the alley, and saw Kizami further down, crouched down with something in his hands.

"Oi! Kizami!" Kai called, a huge smirk on his face. "Check out what I've got!" The redhead's smirk grew wider, when Kizami turned around. However, his grin immediately fled from his face as he noticed what was in Kizami hand. "What... What is that?!" Kai yelled, his face noticeably more pale than before. In Kizami's hand, was the lifeless body of a cat. A kitten. One could say that Kizami simply found it dead, but the scratch makes on his hands made it obvious who was responsible.

"What the hell!?" Kai shouted. To his shock, Kizami simply smiled. "Shimada! I didn't expect to see you here," he said casually. Then he noticed Kai's necklace. "Nice necklace," he said, pointing at it. "You're a psycho!" Kai accused. "It was hissing at me, so I made it stop," Kizami replied. "You're sick!" Shimada said as he threw his fist at Kizami. To his surprise, the taller boy simply caught the fist, and then grabbed Kai's neck. "Ghh! Y-You...!" Kai grabbed Kizami's fingers and began prying them from his neck, only to be punched in the stomach.

"Ghhh!" Kai cried as he fell to the ground. Kizami stood over him for a few seconds, before kneeling down and putting his head right next to his ear. "I'd advise you don't tell anyone what happened here," he warned, before standing up and walking away, leaving a groaning Kai.

(Present)

"Huh? What are you taking about Kizami?" Kurosaki asked. "I encountered Shimada on the way home from school. He seemed rather pale," Kizami replied, a dark grin on his face. Kai growled angrily, and might have attacked Kizami right there and then, when the bell ring, signalling the start of homeroom. "Are you okay Shimada?" Emi asked. Kai glared at Kizami one last time, before turning away. "I fine," he said as he walked away, trying to suppress his anger, and trying to forget the small shred of fear he felt when he looked into Kizami's cold, grey eyes.

(After school, at the student council room)

"Remember what tomorrow is Mr. President!" Mitsuki said as Fukuroi was about to walk out the door. "Hmm? What's tomorrow?" He asked. "Please tell me I can kick you," Mitsuki said in an eerily sweet voice. "Absolutely not. Now what's going on tomorrow?" Fukuroi replied, managing to keep a professional air about him. Until Mitsuki kicked him in the shins.

"Ow! No violence in the student council room!" He cried. "It's your fault for forgetting the cleaning day!" Mitsuki huffed, her arms crossed across her chest. "Cleaning?" Fukuroi asked. "Cleaning! Look at this place! It's full of balls! Is this the equipment shed?!" Mitsuki yelled. "Oh yeah... You asked to schedule a cleaning day," Fukuroi said, his memory of the event returning. "You completely put it out of your mind didn't you," Mitsuki accused, as she raised her foot. "No! I'm sure I pencilled it in somewhere! You're requests are important to the student council!" Fukuroi hurriedly said. "You're a man, not a corporation. Talk like one," Mitsuki said. "Fine! I forgot okay!? As if I don't have enough on my plate in the first place! Do you know what I'm expected to do?!" Fukuroi yelled, before quickly adding, "I'm sorry..."

Mitsuki thought for a little while, before smiling. "Enough for me," she said. Fukuroi sighed. "I just don't ge- Huh?" He said when he registered what she said. "Tough love from your trusted clerk," Mitsuki replied, a warm smile on her face. "Just admit your mistakes and move on. Although, the manley approach to presidency has its merits too," she added. "Mitsuki..." Fukuroi said, his cheeks slightly red. "Just make sure it doesn't happen again!" Mitsuki ordered, the same person she was earlier. "I... got it..." Fukuroi sighed, exasperated.

"You don't understand Tomohiro. Miko is MY bride!" Katayama said as he walked in the room, followed by Ohkawa. Both, like Fukuroi, were wearing the full Byakudan uniform. "As if! Besides, you've got that Sakura girl. Don't you dare two-time her!" Ohkawa replied. "Everyone knows it only gets good when you have three girls!" Katayama scoffed. "Sounds like you to are having fun! Is it a game?" Mitsuki asked. "Ohh, do you want in on this Yamamoto? It's a game where you use a stylus to kiss and massage girls. And you can go out with three at once!" Katayama told her, getting excited. "I'm glad you're having fun... but keep it to one girl you lowlife!" Mitsuki said as she kicked Katayama in the shin. "Ghhh!" He cried out as he grabbed his leg. "You two remember what tomorrow is right?" Mitsuki asked. "Hmm? What's tomorrow?" The two said in perfect synchronisation. "Ohh boy..." Fukuroi sighed as Mitsuki cracked her knuckles.

(Elsewhere)

Tohko took a deep breath as she stood outside class 2-4. She'd been putting it off for far too long. It was time to ask his best friend. Tohko looked around for him, until she finally found the boy she was looking for. "Kurosaki!" She called out.

Kensuke Kurosaki was in his chair, packing his bag. Hearing his name being called, he got up and went over to Tohko. "Hey Kirisaki! What's up?" He asked. "Quick question," Tohko said. "Is Yuuya seeing anyone?" Kurosaki's grin turned into a puzzled frown. "No, I'm pretty sure he's single. Why?" Kensuke asked. "Heh... I guess I have my sights set on him I guess," Tohko said with a slight blush on her face. Kurosaki's frown turned back into a smile at those words. "Really? That's great! Oh, but..." he trailed off, his grin faltering. "What?" Tohko asked, worried. "Kizami isn't a particularly... social individual," Kurosaki said. "Going out with him might not be that fun for you." Tohko shook her head. "But I hear that despite his obvious popularity with the ladies, he hasn't so much as touched anyone," she insisted. "Isn't that a bad thing?" Kensuke replied. "Not really. It gives him a nice clean image," Tohko finished. "Well, I'll definitely be rooting for you!" Kurosaki said, his grin having returned. Tohko smiled. Not only did she confirm Yuuya was single, but she got his best friend blessing too!

Suddenly, the door flew open, and the dreaded "Hell-girl Mitsuki" entered the room, followed by Fukuroi. "Ahhh!" Kurosaki cried out, startled. "Cleaning day Kurosaki! Ring a bell?" Mitsuki asked. "I told you I've got club today!" Kurosaki replied, shuffling towards the door. "Too bad! You're helping!" Mitsuki declared as she grabbed Kurosaki by the collar, and began dragging him out of the room.

"Fukuroi, help!" Kurosaki pleaded. "It's best to just give in..." Fukuroi advised as he began following the two. "Can I come?" Tohko asked. "The more the merrier!" Mitsuki shouted over her shoulder. Tohko walked out the door... and slammed right into Kizami, who was walking past. "Are you alright?" He asked, his hand out stretched, his eyes full of warmth and compassion. "I-I'm fine!" Tohko reassured as she accepted his hand and stood up. "We were just going to clean up the student council room. Want to help?" She asked hopefully. Kizami thought about for a minute, before giving her a nod. "Great!" Tohko said, a smile on her face.

"Oi! Watch where you're going Yamamoto!" A familiar voice yelled. "Sorry Shimada!" Mitsuki called as she continued dragging Kurosaki away. "How are you Kai?" Fukuroi asked, a smile on his face. Despite their conflicting personalities, Fukuroi and Kai were surprisingly close, arguably best friends. "Sup Fukuroi," Kai greeted. "You getting things going with the Hellgirl yet?" He teased. Fukuroi blushed intensely. "I-I... I don't know what you talking about," he said, trying (but failing) to keep his composure. Kai smirked at him, and was about to carry on, before he noticed Tohko.

"Hey Kirisaki! How you doing?" He asked, instantly turning his charm on. "Fine," Tohko said, her mood instantly soured. "You going somewhere?" Kai pressed. "We're going to clean the council room," Tohko replied. "Cleaning? I could help!" Kai said. "Really?" Fukuroi asked, surprised. "Sure!" Kai insisted, his trademark smirk on his face. Which was instantly wiped off when he noticed Kizami standing next to Tohko. "I-I can be quite the effective... cleaner..." He managed to say, his smile strained and forced. "Well, one more pair of hands would be okay," Tohko said as she walked in the direction Mitsuki went, with Kizami, Fukuroi, and a now reluctant Kai following.

(Later)

The group (after running into Emi) reached the student council room, where Mitsuki, Kurosaki, Katayama and Ohkawa were waiting. The next hour was spend cleaning, with the group of nine joking (and in Kai's case flirting) the entire time.

"That's it," Kai said as he put his broom down. "Thanks for the help everyone!" Mitsuki thanked. "No problem!" Katayama said. "Well, I should go. I'll have to jog home to make up for the practice I missed," Kurosaki said, glaring at Mitsuki. "Wait!" Emi said, as everyone was getting ready to leave. "There's something I'd like to try," she said as she unzipped her bag, and pulled out a white, paper doll.

"A paper doll? Not this stuff again Emi," Ohkawa sighed. "But this a real cool one!" Emi protested. "It's called, Sachiko Ever After! I found it on a blog! If we do it right, we stay friends forever!" She explained. That last part definitely caught everyone's interest. The group had been together for a year now, and had grown pretty close to each other in that time.

"That's a neat idea Emi! I'm in!" Mitsuki said. "You can count me in!" Tohko also said. "Sure!" Katayama and Ohkawa said at the same time. "It could be fun!" Kurosaki yelled excitedly. "Why the hell not?" Kai said. Both Kizami and Fukuroi nodded after a moment's thought. "Excellent!" Emi said, a huge smile on her face.

"First, we all hold onto the paper doll," Emi explained. The other eight drew closer and each took hold of a section of the doll. "Then, we each chant, Sachiko we beg of you, nine times in our head, once for each person in the room. Then, we tightly grab, the doll, and pull. Got it?" She asked. Everyone else nodded. The nine students then closed their eyes, and repeated the same sentence in their heads a total of nine times. "Everyone done?" Emi ask. When everyone nodded, she continued with her explanation. "Now, make sure you have a tight grip. On three, pull! One... two... three!" As the group pulled on the doll, the temperature suddenly dropped. It was ice cold. If anyone had breathed, they could have seen their breath. It only lasted a second though, and by the time the temperature was back to normal, the doll was in nine pieces.

"Make sure you keep your scrap safe!" Emi said as everyone put their pieces of paper in their pockets or their student id's. "Well, now that that's done, I should probably get back. I don't want my parents worried," Kurosaki said as he began to walk towards the door. "Wait..." Kizami's deep voice stopped Kurosaki in his tracks. "What?" He asked. "Do you feel that..." Kizami said, his eyes aimed at the floor. Everyone stopped moving. There was a faint vibration in the floor. Kai rolled his eyes. "It's just a little tremble. Nothing too bad." The second those words left his lips, the floor began shake violently. "W-What's going on?!" Mitsuki asked, hanging onto a nearby table. "It must be an earthquake!" Fukuroi concluded. "Everyone! Stay calm!" A second later, a massive crack appeared in the floor. "What the hell!" Kurosaki yelled, as the crack began to widen, revealing a dark abyss. Tohko was unfortunately the closest, and she quickly lost her balance.

"AHHHHH!" She screamed as she windmill her arms, desperately trying to regain her balance. "KIRISAKI!" Kai ran over to her and grabbed her hand, trying to pull her back. However, the ground of the entire classroom suddenly opened up. There was nothing for the students to stand on or hold onto. "AAAAHHHHHHH!" The group screamed as they fell into the dark, and seemingly bottomless pit. A few seconds later, the floor seemed to grow back, the hole gradually disappearing, leaving no trace that anything had happened, that nothing was wrong. Those nine students were soon going to wish they had never performed a charm. Especially this one...

A/N

Welcome to my brand-new story, Corpse Party: A tale from Byakudan High! I've had this on my mind for a while now, and I'm glad I've finally set myself the task of writing it. Leave a review and tell me what you think, and what you may want to see.

I look forward to following this story with you!

A/N


	2. CHAPTER 1 (1)

CHAPTER 1 (1)

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Grrngh..." Ohkawa groaned as he slowly regained consciousness. "Wha... What happened?" The brown haired boy slowly began to sit up. "We... were doing a charm right?" He asked himself. Then, slowly, he opened his eyes. His pupils shrunk as he took in what he was seeing.

He was in a classroom. It was completely different to the room he was in a few minutes ago. The floor was wooden, worn, and littered with holes of varying sizes. The walls were rotted yellow with age and decay, and the desks, noticeably smaller than the ones in the student council room, were also in a terrible state, and looked like they would collapse from the slightest touch. But it wasn't just Ohkawa's surroundings that were different. It was the air. The atmosphere. It was ice cold, and Tomohiro constantly felt as if someone was watching him.

"Where am I... and where's everyone else?" Ohkawa wondered nervously. "Ryosuke!" He called out. "Masato! Yuuya! Shimada!" No answer. "W-What's going on?!" Ohkawa asked, his panic growing. He was in a creepy school, with nobody else with him! Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by a groan from the other side of the room. "W-Who's there?!" Tomohiro yelled. Just more moans. Gulping, he shuffled forward towards the teachers podium, where the noises seemed to be coming from. As he got closer, he noticed a person lying on the floor, unconscious. It was fairly dark, but he could make out the person's face, and it was someone who Ohkawa couldn't be more happy to see.

"Ryosuke!" Ohkawa cried as he rushed over to his best friend's side. "Wake up!" He said as he shook Katayama's shoulders. After awhile, his eyes slowly opened. "Huh... Tomohiro?" He said, dazed. "Ryosuke! Thank god!" Ohkawa cried as he wrapped his arms around his friend's shoulders. "Hey! What's going on?" Katayama said as Ohkawa helped him to his feet. "What the hell happ-" Katayama asked, before noticing their environment. For awhile neither of them said a word as Ryosuke observed his surroundings. "Where are we?" He finally asked. "I don't know," Ohkawa replied. "The desks are really small, so maybe an old elementary school?" Katayama considered that. "We seem to be the only ones here," he noted. "Are the others even in the building?"

"Yes..." a new, deep voice said. "W-Who's there!?" Ohkawa sputtered. "I'm here..." the voice said. The two turned to the right, and were shocked to see a bright, blue flame. "Did... that flame just talk?" Katayama asked. "I'm more than just that," the glowing entity said. "I'm a ghost." For a few seconds there was silence. Then, Ohkawa spoke up. "A... real ghost?" He asked, his face white. "B-But that's impossible!" Katayama nodded in agreement. "I thought the same when I came here. I was like you. But I died, and am cursed to remain here forever." The spirit replied.

"Okay, let's say I believe you," Katayama began. "You said our friends were here as well?" The spirit hesitated, before continuing. "Yes. Counting you two I sensed nine individuals enter the school at the same time." The two breathed a sigh of relief. "However," the ghost continued. "They're all spread amongst the closed spaces." Katayama frowned at this. "Closed... spaces? What are those?" He asked. "The different dimensions, or layers of this school. You're all in different versions of the same building," the ghost replied. "I'm afraid it's unlikely that you will ever see your friends again. I'm sorry..." he said as he faded away.

"Wait!" Ohkawa called out. "Forget him," Katayama said. "We need to get moving." Ohkawa looked at him confused. "Where are we going?" He asked. "To find the others of course!" Katayama replied as he began walking towards the door. "But didn't you hear that the ghost said!" Ohkawa cried. Katayama turned around. "So? They're some of the best friends we've ever had! And I'm not gonna let them end up like that ghost!" He yelled. Ohkawa stared in surprise, before a smile formed on his face. "You're right. We need to find them and get out of here!" He agreed. "Come on then!" Katayama said as he pushed open the door, and together, the two walked out courageously, into the unknown.

(Later)

"AHHHHH!" The duo screamed as they desperately held each other. Laying on the floor in front of them, was a real, rotting corpse. The skin was devoid of any colour. One of it's eyes had been turned to a white mush, and the other was completely missing, a swarm of maggots in its place. Most horrifying of all, the stomach had been completely torn open, exposing rotting organs and several yellowing bones.

"A... A CORPSE!" Tomohiro screamed, his eyes wide with panic. "C-Calm down!" Ryosuke said, both to Tomohiro and himself. "Look! His stomach! He was killed!" The brown haired boy cried. "All the more reason we need to find the others and get out!" Katayama yelled. "Just calm down..." he said. Ohkawa took several deep breaths, before nodding. "I'm fine," he replied. "Come on," Katayama said as the two took one last look at the corpse and turned away, praying that they, nor their friends ended up like that.

(Elsewhere)

A lone girl was walking softly along a seemingly endless maze of dark corridors. The girl was young, no older than about seven. She had long, black hair, deathly pale skin, and was clad in a blood red dress. Her face was completely deadpan as she continued her slow walk along the halls. Suddenly, she stopped. For awhile she remained silent. Then, her lips slowly curved upwards into a smirk, an expression one wouldn't expect to see on a girl so young. "New friends have come..." she said as she slowly faded away, leaving the dark, empty corridors behind, eager to observe her new guests.

A/N

I should explain the layout of the story. It will be divided into several different chapters, similar to the game. The first few with be focused on the separate mini groups of the nine Byakudan students (with a certain someone from a certain school also getting the fray). In the later chapters though, groups will meet up again, and that's when I'll start killing like crazy.

I've got a lot of things planned, including possible extra chapters. But we'll just wait and see. Sorry if the chapter is a little short. I'll try to make future ones longer. Leave a review and tell me what you think of the chapter, what you want to see in the future, maybe some extra chapter ideas, and who you think the mystery character is. Goodbye!

A/N


	3. CHAPTER 1 (2)

CHAPTER 1 (2)

After leaving the corpse, Ohkawa and Katayama decided to search for any clues that may help them find their classmates. "For an elementary school, this is pretty big," Ohkawa noted. "It could take us forever to find someone." Katayama nodded slightly. "Why don't we check out this room?" He said, stopping next to a door. Ohkawa looked up and read the sign. "The Infirmary? Why not?" He said as he grabbed the knob and turned. To his confusion, the door didn't move an inch. It was almost like it was part of the wall.

"Of course. A key," Katayama sighed, pointing at the keyhole under the knob. "Well, at least we're not wondering aimlessly," Ohkawa said. The two were just about to start their search, when...

"AAAHHHHHHH! NOOOO!"

"W-What was that?!" Ohkawa asked, frantically looking around. "I-It came from ahead! Come on. They might be in trouble!" Katayama said as he dashed forward, Ohkawa right behind him. "Wait! Ryosuke!" He called. After a few minutes of running, Katayama suddenly stopped, causing Ohkawa to slam into him. "Oww! What's wrong?" The brown haired boy asked. No reply. Ohkawa looked around him. "What are you... AAHHHHHH!"

It was a young girl lying motionless on the floor in front of them. She was much younger than the two, and had short, grey hair. She was wearing an unfamiliar uniform, composing of a brown blazer and skirt. But the thing that caught Ohkawa and Katayama's attention was her wrenched, twisted neck. She'd been strangled. Seemingly a few minutes, or even seconds ago.

"She's... dead!" Ohkawa sputtered, his eyes wide with horror. "She's so fresh! She might have just been killed now!" Katayama gasped, as he looked at her wide, blank eyes, eyes that still held a tiny echo of terror. "We need to get out of here! The killer might still be here!" Ohkawa cried as he made to turn around. "Wait!" Katayama said, grabbing Ohkawa by the collar. "Calm down Tomohiro! We can't just run around like headless chickens!" Ohkawa took several deep breaths. "F-Fine..." he managed to say.

Katayama nodded, before turning back to the lifeless girl. It was then he noticed a name tag next to her. Inching slowly towards it, he hesitantly reached down and picked it up. "Chihaya Yamase... Musashigawa Girls' Middle School... Class I-4..." he read. He placed the name tag on Chihaya's chest, before quickly backing away. "Come on. We need to find that key," Ohkawa reminded. "Right..." Katayama said, as the two turned away from the body, and started looking for the lost Infirmary key.

(Later)

"Any luck?" Ohkawa asked. Katayama shook his head. The two had found another room and had searched it in hopes of finding a key, but their efforts were fruitless. "Come on," Katayama sighed. He was about to walk towards the door, when the sound of footsteps reached them. "Huh? W-Who's there?" Ohkawa asked. "It's coming from outside," Katayama said. The two slowly walked towards the door and placed their ears against it. The footsteps came closer, and closer, until they eventually stopped. Right outside the door. Suddenly, the door slid open, and the two jumped back in fright, landing on their backs. "No! Please don't hurt us!" They both begged, eyes shut tight. "Katayama? Ohkawa?" The person said in a familiar voice. The two opened their eyes, looked up at the figure standing in the doorway, and their faces lit up with joy.

"Yuuya!" They both said as the jumped back to their feet. Yuuya Kizami was standing before them, strong and tall, but a little on edge. He hadn't changed a bit. "It's good to see a living person, especially if it's a familiar one," Kizami said, a small smile on his face. "So... you've seen the corpses haven't you?" Katayama asked. Yuuya closed his eyes. "Yeah... I've seen them," he replied. "You... wouldn't happen to have seen a key would you?" Ohkawa asked. Kizami opened his eyes. "This?" He said as he opened his hand, revealing a key with a tag on it which read "Infirmary".

"You found it!" The two exclaimed. "Were you looking for it?" Yuuya asked. "Yeah! How'd you find it?" Ohkawa asked. As he said that question, Kizami's face remained blank for a few seconds, before his eyes seemed to darken slightly, and his lips curved upwards into a smirk. "Yuuya?" Katayama asked, confused. "You could say I found it on a... body," he answered in a soft, quiet voice, as if he was remembering something. "I... see..." Katayama replied. "We've been looking for it, so thank you." Kizami then tossed them the key. "Take it. I don't need it right now," he said as he turned around.

"Wait! Aren't you coming with us?" Ohkawa asked. "No. We'll covered more ground if we stay separate," Yuuya replied. "I guess that makes sense," Katayama said. "Good. I hope to see you soon," Kizami said as he walked out the door. "He sure is a strange one," Katayama said. "Did you see his eyes?" Ohkawa asked. "There was something... odd about them." Katayama nodded, as the two wondered about their peculiar friend.

(Later)

 _Click!_

The door to the Infirmary slowly slid open, and the duo peeked in. It was a typical nurses office. There was a desk against the wall with a shelf of bottles, next to a few beds and a curtain. In the middle of the room were a few more curtains and a stool, as well as a lone chair in the corner. As with the rest of the school, the walls and ceiling were rotten with age, and there were multiple holes across the floor.

"It looks a little calm here. Let's take a break," Katayama suggested. "Sure!" Ohkawa nodded as he walked over to one of the beds and lay down his head. Katayama sighed wearily and sat down on the other bed. "This is just like some crazy horror game," he chuckled. "Yeah," Ohkawa said. "We may as well get some rest," Katayama said as he closed his eyes. "You sure?" Ohkawa asked. "Why not?" Ryosuke replied. Ohkawa shrugged and followed suit. "Hey, Ryosuke?" He called, his eyes still closed. "Hmmm?" Came Katayama's reply. "We'll find everyone wouldn't we?" The brown haired boy asked. "Of course we will," Katayama reassured. "Now sleep."

 _..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _Ryosuke was in the dark halls of the school. He'd been separated from Tomohiro. He had to find him._

 _"Tomohiro! Where are you!" He called out again and again. No answer. With each passing second he was getting more worried. What if he never saw his best friend again? Who would he play games with? Who would he joke with?_

 _Suddenly, out of the darkness ahead of him, a figure appeared, crouched on the floor. It was Tomohiro! "Tomohiro! Thank god!" Ryosuke sighed. However as he got closer, Tomohiro turned around. His eyes were wide with fear, and there were tear tracks down his cheeks._

 _"No! Stay away!" He cried, shuffling away from Ryosuke. "What are you talking about?" Ryosuke asked. "Don't! Don't take me back to her!" The other boy begged as he got up on his feet and ran away. "Oi! Tomohiro!" Ryosuke called as he ran after him. The chase seemed to go on for an eternity. Until Tomohiro's footsteps suddenly stopped._

 _"Tomohiro?" Ryosuke edged forward. Tomohiro was lying on the floor. Did he trip? He had to help him! However, as he reached Tomohiro's body, he noticed something missing. It was his head. All that was there was a neck and a red puddle. "Tomohiro...?" Ryosuke looked further up the hall. There, looking up at him, he saw Tomohiro's head. It was staring blankly at him. "Tomohiro..." Ryosuke fell to his knees. As he looked down at the pitiful head, Tomohiro's lips moved. And words came out. "Why...?" The head asked. "Why did you let me die? I thought you were my best friend?" Tears fell from Ryosuke's eyes. "I am... I didn't want you to die!" He protested. "You let me die!" The head insisted. "No..." Ryosuke shut his eyes tightly, as the head began chanting._

 _"You let me die..."_

 _"You let me die..."_

 _"You let me die... "_

 _ **"You let me die Ryosuke..."**_

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH! TOMOHIROOOOOO!"

"Ryosuke! Ryosuke! What's wrong?!" Ohkawa asked. Katayama couldn't speak. He just lay there, breathing heavily, and clutching his heart. Slowly, he turned to look at his best friend, and calmed down once he realized Ohkawa's head was still on his shoulders. "What happened?!" Ohkawa asked, concerned. Katayama stared at him for a few seconds, before sitting up and getting of the bed.

"Just a bad dream," he said as he walked towards the edit. "Come on. We need to go." He said as he slid the door open and walked out. His voice was devoid of any emotion. But his eyes were wide with horror. "O-Oi! Ryosuke!" Ohkawa called as he followed his friend out, wondering what could have possibly got him into such a state.

A/N

I'll be honest. I really, REALLY enjoyed writing that last part. I'm going to love working on these two. Anyway, as you can tell by the beginning, other characters from other schools will appear, either as corpses or with minor roles. Two however, will be major characters in the plot. One of them I forgot to tease in the last Authers Notes. That one will be introduced in the CHAPTER 2. I'm sure that some of you may have an idea of who _she_ is. The other is the one I teased in the last part, but I wouldn't be introducing that character until CHAPTER 3.

Go on! Place your bets! Who are they? Tell me who you think the mystery characters are and what you thought of the chapter. Goodbye!

A/N


	4. CHAPTER 1 (3)

CHAPTER 1 (3)

(Three years ago)

14 year old Ryosuke Katayama was currently at the local supermarket. He was wrapped in a gold coat, with his sand brown hair falling in front of his green eyes. The young boy stood with his nose pressed against the shop window. There, on the other side of the glass, was a game known as MikoMiko's Dating Party. But this wasn't any old ordinary copy. This was the _Special X Edition,_ complete with new characters, new stories... and was completely uncensored.

"I need... that... game..." Katayama breathed. His gaze eventually drifted over to the price tag: 9,250 yen. The blond reached into his pocket and looked at the note in his hand. _Only 5,000 yen... now where near enough..._ he thought sadly.

"Oh! You want it as well?" A young voice said from behind him. Katayama turned around to see a boy standing behind him. He was of similar age, but was slightly shorter than Katayama, which surprised him since he himself was the shortest boy he knew. He was wearing a green jacket, had brown, curly hair, and big blue eyes.

"What's it to ya?" Katayama replied, suspicious. "I was going to get it myself with my birthday money," the boy said, as he opened his hand, revealing several coins and notes, totalling up to 8,000 yen. "Sorry, but you're still too short," Katayama said as he pointed at the price. The boy sighed sadly, but then noticed the note in Katayama's hand. "What if we put our money together?" He suggested. Katayama gasped. "Then we'd have more than enough!" He exclaimed as he grabbed the boy's arm and pulled him into the shop. "H-Hey! That hurts!"

(Later)

The two boys looked in awe at the game in their hands. By their expression, you'd think they'd found a chest of treasure. "I can't believe it..." Katayama said, his mouth agape. "It's in our hands..." the other boy finished. He then turned to Katayama. "I don't think we've met before. I'm Tomohiro Ohkawa," he said, offering his hand. "Ryosuke Katayama!" Katayama replied as he shook his hand. "Wanna go to my place? I have my own computer! We can play it there!" Ohkawa said. "Lead the way!" Katayama replied, as the two dashed off, both eager to play their new game, even more so now that they had someone to play it with.

(Present)

"Oi! Ryosuke! What's wrong?" Ohkawa asked. Katayama blinked, then looked around him and remembered where he was. He must have been daydreaming. "Don't worry! I'm fine!" He reassured as he continued walking. Ohkawa gave him a sceptical look as he followed. "You still haven't told me about that dream." Katayama cringed as he remembered the nightmare he'd had just a few minutes ago. "Nothing for you worry about!" He said as he turned the corner. "I'm perfectly fi-"

 _Squish!_

"Eh?" Katayama looked down to find his foot buried in a pile of meat. "AAAHHHH!" He screamed as he leapt back, Ohkawa staring at him with confusion. "What's wrong?" He asked as Katayama pointed at his foot, then the wall opposite him, his face white. Ohkawa looked in the direction he was pointing. "What tha- AHHHH!"

Blood and guts completely covered the wall from floor to ceiling. One could easily pick out organs, bones, and even brown hair in the gory mess. It was as if someone had been flung at the wall at incredible speeds. It was the most disgusting thing they'd seen in the school so far.

"WHAT IS THAT?!" Ohkawa cried. "WH-WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM?!" Katayama yelled. "This... I stepped in..." he said as looked down at his now bloody foot, horrified. "We... We need to find the others... and get out of here!" Ohkawa said. "Yeah..." Katayama agreed. "Yuuya's fine, so Masato... Yamamoto... Urabe... Kirisaki... Kurosaki... and Shimada." Ohkawa nodded. "Come on..." he said as he and Katayama continued walking down the hall, careful not to look at the bloody stain on the wall.

(Elsewhere)

 _The sheer size of this school still amazes me..._ Kizami thought as he made his way through the dark halls of the school. _This place is clearly separate from the reality that I'm used to. It is dangerous here... I should find the others and find a way out... I wonder if there is even a way out of here... maybe the spirit was right after all... it does seem unlikely that I, or anyone else will get out..._ Kizami stopped walking.

 _Then that means that I was right..._ he thought, his eyes closed, his face expressionless. _If there is now way out... Then everyone will die... and if everyone will die... Then it doesn't matter whether they're killed by the school..._

"... Or killed by me..." Yuuya said, as a small, sinister smile made it's way onto his face. "SEIKO!" Someone yelled. "Hmmm? Who's that?" Kizami wondered. The voice seemed female, and was coming from around coming from the other end of the hallway, which was shrouded in darkness. It was accompanied by light, quick footsteps, as if they were running. "SEIKO! WHERE ARE YOU!" The voice continued, now closer than it was before. Intrigued, Yuuya began walking towards the direction of the voice and footsteps, and sure enough, a figure appeared from the darkness in front of him.

It was a girl, around his age, was fairly slim, but seemed a little on the short side, being nearly a foot shorter than Kizami. She had short brown hair and brown eyes, and was wearing an unfamiliar uniform, consisting of a tan sailor outfit, with a blue collar, skirt, and cuffs, as well as a yellow bow held by a blue brooch. Her student ID was pinned to her... rather large chest. Judging by her expression, she was very anxious, until she noticed Yuuya.

"E-Excuse me!" She stopped as she called to the tall man in front of her, unable to see him completely. "You seem... worried," Yuuya said, his charm on and working. "Are you looking for someone?" He asked, with fake concern as he stepped forward and fully revealed himself. He inwardly smirked as the girl's cheeks gained a faint red tint as she took in his appearance. He had that affect on people.

"Y-Yes! I'm looking for my best friend, Seiko Shinohara! My name is Naomi Nakashima, an 11th grade student from Kisaragi Academy!" She said. "I'm Yuuya Kizami. I'm also in 11th grade, at Byakudan Senior High School," Kizami replied. "You haven't seen Seiko have you?" Naomi asked. "She has brown hair done in curls, she's a little shorter than me, has brown eyes, and a kitty-like smile." She sighed sadly as Kizami shook his head. "Sorry. I haven't seen her," he said. "Did you come with anyone else?" He asked. "Yeah, eight others, including Seiko, after we did a charm," Naomi replied.

"The same for me," Yuuya said. "I found two of my classmates, but we separated to cover more ground, and I haven't seen anyone else since." The two stood in silence for a few seconds, before Kizami once again spoke up. "If you wish, you may accompany me. We can look for your friends as well," he offered. Naomi thought about for awhile, before nodding. "Sure! It will be nice to have some help!" She said with a smile. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll join her again," Yuuya assured with a soft smile on his face. Naomi once again blushed slightly as she continued to walk down the corridor, failing to notice Kizami's smile slowly turning into a dark smirk as he followed her.

 _Yes Naomi... You WILL reunite with your friend... Don't worry... I'll make sure that you never separate from her, or your other friends ever again..._

(Elsewhere)

"Hey! Ryosuke! Look what I found!" Ohkawa called. The two were in another room, searching it to find any clue as to how to leave the building. "What is it?" Katayama asked as he walked over from the other side of the room. "I found a newspaper," Ohkawa replied as he handed it over to his friend. The name was blacked out, but the date in the corner said 1973. "1973? Jeez this is old..." Katayama said as he began to look over the front article.

 _Serial Kidnappings Continue!_

 _Yet another child has disappeared from Heavenly Host Elementary. This is just the latest in what authorities are calling a serial kidnapping. These kidnappings have several damaged Heavenly Host's reputation, and there have been several rumours that one of the teachers is behind the kidnappings. Principal Takamine Yanagihori has repeatedly denied... Continued on Page 3._

Alongside the article were two pictures of the school. The first showed the outside of the school. It was extremely large, with a sign in front of it that read "Heavenly Host Elementary School". The second picture however, showed the inside of the school, and looked strikingly familiar.

"That corridor!" Ohkawa gasped. "We've been in there!" The hall in the picture was in much better shape, and had no corpses or ghosts in it, but it was undeniably the same hallway. "This must be Heavenly Host..." Katayama concluded. "H-How did we get here?" Ohkawa asked. "This newspaper is over thirty years old!" Katayama rubbed his eyes. "This is all starting to take it's toll on me..." he sighed wearily. "Don't fall asleep Ryosuke! We need to find everyone else!" Ohkawa said. "Yes..." Katayama replied as he dropped the newspaper and followed Ohkawa out of the room.

(Later)

Katayama's mood continued to deteriorate as the two continued on their way. It was as if someone had torn every single positive emotion out of his head, and pulled it with every negative emotion they could think of. Ohkawa's comments didn't help.

"This sure is spooky..."

"Ahhh! Look at that corpse!"

"Are you alright Ryosuke?"

Katayama ground his teeth. "I'm fine..." he said. "A-Are you sure? You look tired," Ohkawa replied. "I'm FINE!" Katayama yelled. His patience was wearing thin. "If you're so concerned then shut up!" Ohkawa stepped back, caught off guard by the outburst, before his temper began to rise as well. "I'm just worried about you Ryosuke! What do you expect me to do?! I'm your best friend!" Katayama glared at him, his teeth bared, and to Ohkawa's shock, his eyes flashed a bright crimson, before turning back to normal. "My best friend?! Don't make me laugh! You were never my best friend!"

Ohkawa's eyes widened as he processed those words. The hate and anger from Katayama's face slowly vanished. He blinked a few times in confusion, as if waking up from a dream. Then he remembered what he said. "Tomohiro I-" he began, but... Then stopped. He couldn't finish it. The word sorry was stuck in his throat, as if someone was squeezing his throat.

Ohkawa's shock slowly faded, and he looked down, trying to hid the sadness in his eyes. "I see..." he said, before he turned and walked away. Katayama tried to follow him, but something was constricting his movements. He couldn't move his legs or call out. He was powerless to do anything as his best friend walked away. It was only long after Ohkawa's footsteps faded that whatever had trapped him let go, once again giving him movement.

"Tomohiro! Wait! Come back!" Katayama yelled in the direction Ohkawa had gone. If the brown haired boy had heard him, he chose to ignore him. "I'm sorry..." Katayama whispered, tears starting to form in the corners of his eyes. "I'm so... sorry..." Wiping away his tears, he set off in the direction Ohkawa took.

 _I swear Tomohiro... I'll find you... I'll apologize... and we'll find a way out..._

(With Ohkawa)

"What's up with him?!" Ohkawa yelled, having a rare burst of anger. "I try to help him, and he just yells at me! And he's supposed to be the calm one!" Furious, Ohkawa stormed down the corridors, ranting all the way. Eventually though, he finally began to calm down. He could never stay mad at Katayama for long.

"I suppose I was little annoying," he admitted, a pained look on his face. "And I guess this place was getting to him... So maybe he didn't mean it when he said..." Ohkawa couldn't bring himself to finish that sentence. "We need to get back together... and find everyone else!" He said, a look of determination on his face.

 _Creak!_

"Huh? Who's there!" Ohkawa said as he quickly turned around. There was nobody there. He stared in the direction the noise had come from for a few more seconds, before chuckling. "I'm must be losing it too..." he said as he turned around...

...and saw a girl standing in front of him. "AHHH!" He yelled as he leapt back, landing on his backside. The girl was very young, about six or seven, with long black hair, and deathly pale skin. She was clad in a long, crimson dress. Her eyes were completely obscured by her bangs, but her mouth was drawn into a tight, straight line.

"Ummm... hi?" Ohkawa called, still on the floor. For awhile the girl's expression didn't change one bit. Then, slowly, the ends of her mouth curved upwards into a cold, dead smirk as she started walking towards Ohkawa.

(With Katayama)

"AAAAHHHHHHH!"

"Huh!?" Katayama stopped in his tracks when he heard that scream. He knew that voice. It was impossible for him not to recognize it. "Tomohiro!" Quickly, he turned in the direction of the noise, and began sprinting towards it. "Hang on Tomohiro!" He called as he ran through the dark halls of Heavenly Host. As he ran, he couldn't help but remember his dream. _No..._ he thought. _I will find you! I will save you!_

Seemingly an eternity later, he saw a figure appear from the darkness in front of him. It was a boy, crouched on the floor. He was wearing the Byakudan Senior High School uniform, and had a head of brown hair. "Tomohiro!" Katayama called out, relieved. However, as he got closer, he noticed something... off. Ohkawa's clothes, were torn, as if he'd been attacked by a dog, and stained with a dark red liquid in certain parts. Katayama stopped as Ohkawa turned around, his brown eyes wide with fear and panic, which only seemed to grow when he noticed Katayama.

"No! NO!" He screamed, crawling away from Katayama, who stared at him in shock and confusion. "Tomohiro?! What's happened!? What's wrong?! It's me! Ryosuke!" He reassured. "No! Don't! Don't take me to her!" Ohkawa yelled as he scrambled to his feet and dashed off. "Tomohiro! Wait!" Katayama called, racing after him. Ohkawa didn't listen, just kept on running and screaming. "Go away! I don't want to go back to her!" He cried as he reached a staircase, and began running down it. "Tomohiro!" Katayama said as he reached the staircase. "Hold o-!"

 _Trip!_

 _Slice!_

Katayama stopped running as he heard the sound of _two_ objects dropping to the ground. "Tomohiro..?" He called as he slowly made his way down the stairs. No reply. He turned around the corner to the second set of stairs, and looked at that was at the bottom.

Ohkawa was dead. A string of now bloody piano wire was a tied at the foot of the stairs. Ohkawa's head now lay several feet from his body, which was sprawled unceremoniously on the floor, soaking in a growing puddle of blood. "..." Katayama didn't say anything as he walked down the stairs, unconsciously stepping over the wire, and stopped at Ohkawa's head. It's eyes, once full of life, were now cold, empty, and lifeless, yet still held a small echo of life. Of terror.

"Tomohiro..." Katayama cried as he sank to his knees, tears flowing down his cheeks in a steady stream. The only thing that was going through his head was the words he'd heard in his dream, which bore an uncanny resemblance to the current situation.

 _"You let me die..."_

"No..." Katayama whimpered, staring into his friend's dead eyes, which in turned stared right back at him.

 _"You let me die..."_

"No...!" Katayama said louder. He was breathing heavier. His eyes seemed to shrink as he stared at his best friend's head. A friend he'd spent the last three years with. A friend he would have called a brother. A friend he had let die.

 _ **"You let me die Ryosuke..."**_

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH! TOMOHIROOOOOO!"

CHAPTER 1

END

A/N

And that brings us to the end of CHAPTER 1! It's been nice experiencing Heavenly Host with these two (three?) hasn't it? Next up, is CHAPTER 2 which will focus on another pair, and introduce the first of the two mystery characters. Leave a review and tell me what you thought of CHAPTER 1. Until then, goodbye!

P.S. Just so you know, I may piss a few people off with the... "fates" of a few minor characters in CHAPTER 2. Just to let you know.

A/N


	5. CHAPTER 2 (1)

CHAPTER 2 (1)

"How's things on your end Kirisaki?" Kai called from the other side of the room. "Nothing over here," Tohko sighed. The two had awoken a short while ago in this old, abandoned school building, with nobody else in sight, and the place littered with corpses. A ghost they'd encountered told them that they were in a school known as Heavenly Host Elementary. The school was divided into multiple dimensions, which they and their friends were spread across, making it unlikely that they would meet. The two had searched several rooms, hoping to find something useful, but to no avail.

"Tch... Dammit!" Kai yelled in frustration. "What kind of messed up place is this?!" Tohko just walked towards the door in response. "Come on," she said as she pushed open the door. "H-Hey! Wait up!" Kai said as he hurried after her.

The two then continued their walk through the dark halls of Heavenly Host in silence. It would have been nice, but over time Kai noticed just how... awkward the atmosphere was. The two were undeniably the least close of the group, and now they were trapped together. Tohko never really liked his attitude or any of his other aspects, while Kai feelings for her were pretty much the opposite. It worried him to be in such an uncomfortable situation. So the redhead adjusted his clothes a little, and engaged his companion in cherry conversation.

"So Kirisaki... you're looking real good today! Who you looking to impress?" He complemented. "Nobody," Tohko replied. _Okay okay... a little moody but I can work with that!_ Kai thought. "You serious!? I could swear you were on a date or something!" He continued, flashing her a suggestive grin. Which was wiped off his face when she said, "Shut up." Kai stared in shock for a few seconds before a smirk found its way onto his face. In his time, he'd come to see that it was the best women that were the hardest to get. And Tohko... she was the best he'd ever met...

(One year ago)

"Get back here Shimada!" The dean, Yasuhiko Nomura yelled as he chased Kai though the halls of Byakudan. He'd found Kai feeling up one of his girlfriends, and had assumed the worst. "It's not rape if you enjoy it!" The 16 year old Kai Shimada called back as he sprinted as fast and as far as he could go. He turned the corner, and a girl walked out of a nearby door. "The dean's after me! Help!" Kai begged. The girl, after she got over the shock, nodded and opened the door further, letting him in and closing the door just as Yasuhiko rounded the corner and dashing past the door. The dean was never really popular with students.

Kai stood leaning on the wall with his eyes closed, getting his breath back. "Thanks..." he eventually said. "No problem!" The girl said. "That dean just gets on my nerves. You're... Kai Shimada from class 1-7 right?" Kai finally opened his eyes and looked at the girl he was talking to. She was much shorter than him, with brown hair with a hint of green, and a white bow in her hair. "I'm Tohko Kirisaki from class 1-3. Nice to meet you!" Kai was just barely listening as he stared at her. Big blue eyes... decent rack... pretty darn cute... _She is banging!_ Kai thought. He was still looking at Tohko when she asked him if he was alright. So he said the first thing that popped into his head.

"Wanna fuck?"

"W-What?!" Tohko yelled. "You heard me," Kai replied, a massive grin on his face. "G-Get away you pervert!" Tohko said as she ran out the door, slamming it closed. Kai stood staring after her for a few seconds, before letting out a small chuckle. "She's gonna be a good one..."

(Present)

At first she was just another good-looking girl that had caught his interest. But then he found his thoughts would always go to her. No matter what he was doing, his head found an excuse to think of Tohko. So he figured it was just a little crush, a _really_ good-looking girl he found every once in a while. But... this wasn't just some crush. She plagued his mind. His girlfriends suddenly didn't seem so beautiful anymore. Nobody did. Except for her. The person who hated him the most in the school. The next year, he was overjoyed that he made it into the same class as her, and thanks to Fukuroi, and to an extent Ohkawa, he managed to find himself in her group of close friends, contesting of the before mentioned Fukuroi and Ohkawa, Emi Urabe, Ryosuke Katayama, Mitsuki Yamamoto, Kensuke Kurosaki... and Yuuya Kizami. But even then, he never seemed to become more than a somewhat close acquaintance...

"Watch where you're going Shimada!" Tohko said. "Huh-GHH!" Kai yelled as he fell face first into the ground, having tripped on something. "Serves you right for not looking where you're going," Tohko said. "What did I trip on anyway?" The redhead grumbled as he looked as what lay at his feet. "AAAHH!"

He had tripped over two decaying corpses that lay right next to each other, almost tangled together. Kai immediately jumped to his feet. "I can't believe you can't even respect the dead!" Tohko said. "I didn't mean to!" Kai protested. "You should still apologize," she replied. Kai grimaced and looked at the name tags on the two bodys. "Sorry... Satoshi and Yuka Mochida... brother and sister I guess..." he said. "How sad..." Tohko said, blinking away a few tears. "Yeah..." Kai agreed. He turned around, and saw another corpses behind him. This one was also decaying, but one could make out marks on its twisted neck, suggesting it had been strangled. "Here's another one... Naomi... Nakashima..." Kai read. "They're all from Kisaragi Academy," he noted.

"You... don't think any of our friends are dead do you?" Tohko asked quietly. Kai stared in shock, before giving her a surprisingly gentle smile. "Of course not! They're all somewhere in this hell hole! We'll find then and get out of here!" Tohko blinked in surprise, before giving a small but genuine smile. "You're right. Let's go find our friends!" With that, the two walked off, leaving the corpses behind them.

(Elsewhere)

"Tomohiro... TOMOHIROOO!"

Katayama cried bitter tears as he clutched Ohkawa's pitiful little head in his arms. His uniform was soaked in blood, but what did that matter? He had let his best friend die. He could have stopped it, but he didn't. "Tomohiro... I'M SORRY!" He screamed at the head, which just stared back at him.

"Katayama?! What happened?!" Suddenly, he felt hands shaking him. Katayama looked up to find Yuuya kneeling in front of him. "Yuuya... Look!" Katayama weeped, thrusting Ohkawa's head towards Kizami. "Ohkawa?!" Kizami gasped as he looked at the head with shock and horror. "What happened to him?!" He demanded. "He was running... and the wire... he tripped and... and..." Katayama tried to explain, before he burst into tears, once again clutching the head. Yuuya stood staring at the scene for a few seconds, before he spoke.

"Do you want to see Ohkawa... Tomohiro again?" He asked. "YES!" Katayama wailed. Suddenly, Kizami grabbed Ohkawa's head by the hair and tossed it away. It made a loud noise as it landed next to his motionless body. "What are you doing?!" Katayama gasped as he stood up and made to go over and grab the head. Kizami reached out and grabbed Katayama's collar. "Ghh!? Yuuya?!" In response, Kizami chuckled darkly. "Don't worry my friend... You will meet with Ohkawa soon," he said as he began dragging Katayama towards the bloody piano wire.

A/N

What a terrific start to CHAPTER 2! Two main characters and a minor one dead already! This chapter will focus on Kai and Tohko. Also, Yuuya will be a reoccurring character in future chapters, always working in the background, until towards the end, when things get more... chaotic. The first mystery character should be introduced in the next part. Until then, bye!

P.S. I didn't intend to write this one so soon, but I just couldn't wait to get started on this chapter! I hope it isn't rushed or anything.

A/N


	6. CHAPTER 2 (2)

CHAPTER 2 (2)

"AAAAHHHHHH!"

Both Kai and Tohko jumped at the echoing scream. "W-What was that!?" Tohko asked, looking in the direction the scream had come in. "Kinda sounded like... Katayama," Kai said. "Katayama? He sounds like he's in trouble! We need to help him!" Tohko said. Kai simply nodded in response, and the two dashed of in the direction of the scream. Unfortunately, Tohko was much less athletic than Kai, and quickly fell behind.

"W...What!" She gasped as she stopped running, breathing heavily. "You should spend more time on the track field Kirisaki," Kai said, walking back to her. "I'm athletic! I just can't keep up with you when you've got such long legs!" Tohko protested. "You're the second tallest person at Byakudan!" Kai couldn't help but frown as he thought of the _one_ person at school who was taller than him. "Come on. We need to find Katayama," he said. Tohko nodded, and the two continued at a slower pace. "Sorry for slowing us down..." Tohko mumbled, slightly embarrassed at apologizing to Kai Shimada of all people. "Don't worry about it," Kai said. Tohko blinked, surprised. She'd expected something like: "Keep up bitch!" Or "It's fine! Nobody can be as good as me!"

"Stop! You deaf or something?!" Kai yelled as he yanked her back. "Ow! What was the for?!" Tohko yelled back. Kai just pointed in front of them. The floor had apparently collapsed or something, as in front of them was a gap several feet wide, separating them from the rest of the hall. Tohko had been about to walk to her death. "Sorry, I was daydreaming," she said. "You were looking at me..." Kai replied, his signature smirk on his face. "No idea what you were talking about!" Tohko shouted back. "Kirisaki? Is that you?" A voice said from the other side of the gap. "Who's there?" Tohko called. A figure appeared on the other side. "It's me! Kurosaki!"

Kensuke Kurosaki waved at them from the other side. "Kurosaki!" Tohko exclaimed, a cheerful grin on her face. "Trash like you still around?" Kai asked, but he couldn't stop a smile forming on his lips. "Glad to finally see someone else in the place!" Kurosaki said, a wide smile on his face. "I woke up awhile ago, and haven't seen anyone until now. Except... Corpses..." he said with a shudder. "Same here..." Tohko replied. "You haven't seen anyone else have you? Kizami? Fukuroi? Urabe?" Kurosaki asked. "No..." Kai began. "But we heard Katayama scream awhile ago. You hear anything?" He asked. Kurosaki shook his head. "I didn't hear anything," he said.

"How are you going to get over that gap? With a run up you might be able to do it," Tohko said. "You kidding me?!" Kurosaki exclaimed. "I'd need to be an Olympic athlete or something! You're taller Shimada, so maybe you can manage it..." Kai looked at the seemingly bottomless pitch black pit, and paled slightly. "I... don't think so," he said. "How about I find a way around?" Kurosaki suggested. "But... what if something happens to you?" Tohko asked. "Don't worry Kirisaki! If we both move then if I'm sure we'll meet each other!" Kurosaki reassured. "Sure. Not much else we can do anyway," Kai agreed. "Great! See ya soon!" Kurosaki yelled as he turned around and jogging off into the darkness.

"Good to know this place hasn't changed him," Tohko said. Kai didn't say anything. He watched the spot were Kurosaki had been for a few seconds before turning around. "Come on. We still need to find Katayama," he reminded. "Oh! Yeah..." Tohko replied as the two once again set off.

(Later)

"Why did you try to save me?"

"Eh?" Kai replied. He had been looking at one of the corpses, when Tohko asked him that question out of the blue. "You know what I mean!" Tohko said. "When we got sent here..."

 _"What the hell!" Kurosaki yelled, as the crack began to widen, revealing a dark abyss. Tohko was unfortunately the closest, and she quickly lost her balance. "AHHHHH!" She screamed as she windmill her arms, desperately trying to regain her balance. "KIRISAKI!" Kai ran over to her and grabbed her hand, trying to pull her back._

"Oh yeah..." Kai said as he remembered what had happened. "Answer my question," Tohko replied. "I... Ummm..." Kai quickly racked his brain for a suitable answer. "It was... just that you were the closest to me, the only one in reach!" He said, satisfied. "You were on the other side of the room," Tohko countered. "You... were the first person I noticed! If I noticed anyone first I would have totally tired to save them!" Kai protested. "Even Yuuya?" Tohko asked. "Of course! I would... totally save Kizami!" The act of simply saying those words was more painful than any fight he'd been in. Tohko gave him a sceptical look.

"Oh look! A note!" Kai said, pointing at a bloody sheet of white paper on the floor a few feet away, next to a corpse. "We should check it out!" Kai continued as he walked over and picked the paper up, happy for the interruption. "Don't just rush into things!" Tohko said, but looked over Kai's shoulder and read the note with him.

 _Why..._

 _Why did this have to happen to me!? I was a good girl! I got good grades! I was well behaved! So why am I being put through this!?_

 _All I wanted was to be friends forever! Is that too much to ask?! Nari... Chihaya... please be okay! My arms been broken by a big man with a hammer, but I'll do my best! We'll find a way out!_

 _~Nana~_

"Poor girl... I hope she made it out..." Tohko said. "I doubt it," Kai replied, glancing at the corpse. He let the note fall out of his hand, and it landed on floor in it's original place. "Come on," Tohko began. "We have to- AHHH?!"

"What are you screaming about?" Kai asked, turning to face his companion, a confused look on his face. "Sh-Shimada! There's a-a-" Tohko stuttered as she pointed behind him. Kai turned around. "What th- Ghh!"

There was a small boy standing before them. He was clearly a ghost, judging by the pulsing blue glow, but he had a completely different aura about him. His clothes were torn and soaked with blood, and his stomach was lined with multiple stab wounds. Despite showing no expression on his face, one could feel the cold hatred in his gaze. Then, he opened his mouth, revealing he had no tongue.

 **"Guuuu... iiiiiii... aaaaaa..."** the ghost mumbled as he began walking forwards. "Shit! This is bad!" Kai said. "You think?!" Tohko replied. "We need to run!" The two began sprinting as fast as they could from the spirit. Every time they looked back, the boy was still behind them, still walking. In fact, it seemed that each time they looked back, he was a little closer. They couldn't keep going for long before he caught them. The two turned a corner, and one of the first things they noticed was a door, with a key sticking out of the lock. They were so relieved that they didn't question why the key was just sitting there. "Come on!" Tohko said as she turned the key, opened the door, quickly dashed in, followed by Kai, before silently closing it just as the boy turned the corner.

The two stood completely still, making as little sound as possible. They stiffened when they saw a blue glow pass by the foggy window, but relaxed once it disappeared. "Ahh..." Tohko sighed as she slumped on one of the desks. The room they were in seemed to be a classroom. "How long have we been here already?" She asked. Kai sat down on one of the chairs before raising his wrist. Ever since they'd arrived here, his watch had been acting up. Each time be looked at it, it showed a different time.

Kai stared at his watch. It currently read quarter past five.

He blinked.

It now read half past four.

"Hell if I know," he eventually replied. "Seriously... What the hell IS this place?" Tohko just shrugged in response. The two sat in silence for a while, before Kai stood up and walked towards the door. "Maybe he's finally gone," he said as placed his hand on the door, about to push it open. "If you open that he'll kill you," a voice said. Both Kai and Tohko jumped when they heard it. "W-Who's there?" Tohko asked. "I'm right here," the voice said, coming from the front of the classroom.

There was a girl around their age, somewhat taller than Tohko, with short, black hair, and eyes that were dark blue, but were so cold and lifeless the colour barely stood out. She had red glasses, a pink pentagram in her hair, and was wearing an unfamiliar uniform, consisting of a maroon blazer, white shirt, red tie, and blue skirt with a blue jumper tied around her waist. "Kai Shimada and Tohko Kirisaki of Byakudan Senior High School isn't it," the girl said, a cold smile on her face. "Who the fuck are you and how do you know our names?!" Kai demanded, fists at the ready. "Oh, how rude of me!" She said.

"I'm an 11th grade student from Paulownia Academy. My name is Naho Saenoki."

(Elsewhere)

"Shimada! Kirisaki!" Kurosaki called out. He'd been walking for a while now, and his hopes were slowly dwindling. "Kizami! Katayama! Ohkawa!" No response. "Dammit..." he cursed. There was nobody here, except him, and the countless corpses. He stopped walking, and fell to his knees. "I'm beat..." he sighed, closing his eyes.

 _How long has it been since I saw Kirisaki and Shimada? Five minutes? Five hours? How knows... Is this how I'm going to go? Withering away by myself in a dark and cold corner? Kizami... Fukuroi... Katayama... Ohkawa... Shimada... Urabe... Yamamoto... Kirisaki... I miss you guys so much..._

"You alright mister?" A young voice said, coming directly in front of him. Kurosaki opened his eyes. There was a young girl, around six or seven standing in front of him. She had long black hair that fell past her shoulders, and she had a big, cheerful smile. And she was wearing a red dress.

A/N

Thing's aren't looking to good for Kurosaki are they? Will he live? Will he die? I don't know. I'll decided later. Anyway, Naho is the first of the two mystery characters. I originally wasn't going to put her in, but then I realized that without her the story would be much harder to progress, and I find her amusing. I hope you enjoy watching her fate unfolded as much as I will. As for the second mystery character... _He_ will be introduced in CHAPTER 3. Who is it? Take a guess!

Until next time!

A/N


	7. CHAPTER 2 (3)

CHAPTER 2 (3)

Tohko and Kai stared in shock at Naho who was casually leaning against the teachers podium. Eventually, Tohko spoke up. "Naho... as in... Naho the paranormal investigator?" She asked. Naho smiled in response. "Glad that you've heard of me," she replied. "Wow! I never thought I'd actually get to meet someone like you!" Tohko cried, all shock and fear vanished. Kai however, retained his confused look. "No idea who you are," he said bluntly. "I investigate supernatural sites, and give my information to my superiors. I wrote a book about my findings actually," Naho replied. "Sorry," Kai replied. "But I'm not into spiritual shit."

"Don't be so rude!" Tohko shouted at him. "Maybe you're the reason you and your friends are here," Naho said, a cold smirk on her lips. "Ahh?! What the hell are you talking about?" Kai asked.

"I put the Sachiko Ever After charm on my blog with all the instructions as well," Naho explained. "The reason you're here is because you messed up the charm and angered Sachiko." The two paled when they heard that. "One of you probably didn't say the chant enough times or too many times or whatever," Naho continued. "If you just thought that the charm was a joke, and didn't follow the instructions because of that, you may have doomed all of your friends," she finished, looking at Kai.

"Shimada, is that true?" Tohko asked, fury burning in her eyes. "What?! Hell no! I said it nine times in my head, just like Urabe said!" Kai protested. "It doesn't matter who did it, you're here now, and need to get out," Naho interrupted. "A way out?!" Tohko gasped. "Yes. Unfortunately it could be dangerous," Naho replied. "Of course, there's always a catch," Kai sighed, but listened to Naho anyway.

"You've encountered one of the child spirits right?" Naho asked. "How do you know?" Tohko asked. "I'm a ghost, it's fairly simple to watch people," the bespectacled girl replied, as if she was talking about the weather. "W-What?! How?!" Tohko asked. "I came here to find... someone..." she answered vaguely. "But died in the process." Naho clearly didn't want to talk about this subject as she quickly returned to the previous topic.

"This place and its closed spaces are held together by the will of four child spirits. The boy you saw is one of them," Naho explained. "In order to escape, you must appease all of them. Then, the closed spaces should theoretically collapse, and an entrance to our world will appear." Tohko gasped happily. "So... if we appease the ghosts we can leave?" Naho nodded slightly. "In order to appease the spirits, you need to get their killer to show remorse," she said. "Their... killer?" Kai repeated. "Yes. The man who killed them is still prowling around. You should run into him eventually," Naho continued. "Get him to show remorse to the ghosts, and you might be able to leave."

Tohko and Kai slowly processed all this information. "This sounds like a fucking suicide trip," Kai began. "But... if there's a chance we can get out, then I'll do it." Tohko nodded. "Yeah, me too." Naho gave them a cold, yet oddly kind smile. "I wish you the best of luck. To help you, I'll give you a gift... and a warning." Tohko frowned. "A... warning?" She asked. "One of the child spirits... is not like any other ghost in this school. You should be extremely careful around her," Naho replied. With that, she just... disappeared. In her place, was a small doll. Tohko reached down and picked it up. It was wearing a white and red dress, a matching hat, and big glass eyes.

"That's our gift? Some creepy doll?" Kai scoffed. "It must have some significance..." Tohko said, turning the doll around to look at the back. There, stitched into the rim of the hat, was a sentence:

 _Happy birthday Yoshikazu. From Mummy._

(Elsewhere)

Kurosaki stared at the young, smiling girl standing in front of him. He hadn't heard anyone approach him, but he had been wrapped up in his own thoughts. Still...

"Helloooooo...?" The girl said, waving her hand in front of Kurosaki's face. "O-Oh! Sorry!" He said as he quickly rose from his knees. "My name's Kensuke Kurosaki! I'm an 11th grader from Byakudan Senior High School," he said with his trademark grin. "Mine's Sachiko Shinozaki. I'm a 1st grader from Heavenly Host Elementary!" The girl in the red dress replied with a smile of her own. "What's someone so young doing here?" Kurosaki asked. Instantly, Sachiko's bright, smiling face crumbled, tears beginning to fall from her eyes, and the corners of her mouth quivering. "I... I don't know!" She cried. "I was doing a charm with my friends, and... and we were here and... a scary man showed up and... and..." She was on the verge of outright bawling. "D-Don't worry! I'm sure the scary man its here!" Kurosaki hurriedly converted. "I'll help you!" Sachiko stopped sobbing and looked up at him with wide eyes. "Really...?" She asked. "Of course!" The purple haired boy replied.

"Yay!" Sachiko said, all tears gone, a bright smile on her face. It was almost like she'd never been crying at all. "Come on!" She said, grabbing Kurosaki's sleeve and pulling down the hall. "O-Oi! Where are you going?!" He asked. "Someplace funny! Come see!" Sachiko replied. "Uhh... sure," Kurosaki hesitantly agreed and allowed Sachiko to drag him further into the depths of the school.

(Elsewhere)

 **"I'm sorry..."**

"AHH!" Both Kai and Tohko jumped at the sudden voice. The two were now in a corridor with several doors on both sides, suggesting it was a specific department for a subject. The two looked around for anyone other than themselves. "Who's there?!" Tohko called out. "Come on out buddy and show yourself!" Kai challenged.

 **"I'm sorry...**

This time, the two looked down at the doll in Tohko's hands. "Is... that who's talking?" Kai asked. "I'm assuming this belonged to the killer... Yoshikazu... so maybe, it has a connection to him," Tohko suggested. "Maybe those are his thoughts or something," Kai pitched.

 **"I'm so sorry..."**

"If they are... then don't you think this is a little... suspicious?" Tohko asked. "Ehh? Why? It's telling us what we want," Kai said. "Exactly. Don't you think this is a little too.. easy..." Tohko replied. "Like it's... just saying what we want." Kai shrugged. "That's a good thing... right?" Kai asked. "I guess..." Tohko said. "Then lets go and find ourselves some kiddie ghosts!" Kai said. Tohko nodded and the two continued on their way, on the lookout for the four children spirits.

(Later)

"Where the hell are they?!" Kai yelled. The two had been searching for ages, and hadn't come across ANY ghosts, let alone the ghosts of children. "Calm down Shimada! I'm sure they're somewhere," Tohko said. Kai just grumbled and continued walking. "Why are you so moody?" Tohko asked. "Yuuya wouldn't be acting up! He'd be working hard, no matter how difficult the situation is!"

Kai flinched. He clenched his fists as Kizami's face appeared in his head. Yuuya Kizami... the great and spotless. Yuuya Kizami... the kind and caring gentlemen. Yuuya Kizami... the tall, handsome, mature young man that even teachers were rumoured to be attracted to.

Yuuya Kizami... Yuuya Kizami...

"Yuuya wouldn't be moaning or complaining, would he?" Tohko continued. Kai stopped walking. "What now?!" Tohko asked.

"Yuuya Yuuya Yuuya... IF YOU FUCKING LOVE HIM SO MUCH THEN GO AND FIND HIM!" Kai practically screamed at Tohko, his face almost as red as his hair. The green haired girl stepped back, surprised at the outburst. Her surprise only lasted a few seconds though, as her own temper flared up. "I DIDN'T ASK TO BE PAIRED WITH YOU FOR THIS DEATH TRIP YOU KNOW!" She shouted back at him. "THEN GO! GO TO KIZAMI, SINCE HE'S APPARENTLY A MUCH BETTER MAN THAN ME!" Kai yelled, breathing heavily. Tohko ground her teeth in anger. "MAYBE I WI-"

"OOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRR!"

The anger and hate felt by both Kai and Tohko was replaced with shock and confusion at the sudden third voice. "Who was that?" Tohko asked. "I don't know," Kai replied, looking around them.

 _STOMP! STOMP!_

The two turned in the direction of the heavy, pounding footsteps. There, at the end of the hall, a large shadow was walking slowly towards them. Kai and Tohko took as step back as whoever it was came closer. Finally, it came into view, and upon, seeing it, it took everything they had not to throw up.

It was a large man, around the same height as Kai. The face could only be described as chalk white. The skin lacked any kind of colour, it was just... white. His eyes were pure crimson with no pupils, with the skin around them and his mouth black, almost like make-up. His clothes were dark and rotted with age and filth. And in his hands, was a massive, bloody sledgehammer. As he drew nearer, the air became polluted with the smell of blood, of filth, of oils. He was truly the archetype of a zombie.

"AAAAHHHHHH!" The man screamed as he slammed his hammer into the floor. Splinters and nails flew everywhere, and when he lifted it again, a huge hole was there. "What the... WHAT THE HELL IS THIS THING?!" Tohko gasped in horror. "I don't know, and I don't care! We need to run!" Kai said as he took off, Tohko right behind him, the doll still in her arms. "Ahhh...Ahhh... AAAAGGGGGHHHHHHH!" The monster cried as he perused them. "Shitshitshitshitshit..." Kai muttered as he looked behind him. "Kirisaki! You alright?!" He called back. "ALRIGHT?! WE'RE BEING ATTACKED BY A ZOMBIE!" Tohko yelled at him. "I'm just making sure you're there!" He replied. They ran in silence for a few seconds (excluding their ragged breaths, footsteps, and the large man's constant screaming), before Tohko spoke up.

"Look... in cause we don't make... Don't make it..." she gasped, her energy beginning to fade. "I'm just... I'm sorry for... yelling at you earlier okay!" It took Kai a few seconds to register what she said. Tohko Kirisaki just apologized to him. Despite everything, he smiled. "Don't worry! I... I kinda started it!" He yelled back. The two then concentrated on running as fast as they could. Eventually, the man's screams become quieter and quieter, until no sound could be heard from him anymore. Even so, Kai carried on running for a few more minutes before he stopped.

"We... we did it..." he sighed. "Heh... hahaha... we fucking did it! Hahaha!" He laughed, relief flooding over him. "Kirisaki... you good?" He called behind him. No answer. Kai turned around. No one was there. No Tohko. No zombie. Nobody. Just Kai, and a few corpses.

"Kirisaki...?"

(Elsewhere)

"Here we are!" Sachiko proclaimed, finally stopping at a door. "Thank god..." Kurosaki sighed. It seemed as if he'd been dragging around the entire school. "So... what's so special about this room?" He asked. "There's something funny in here," Sachiko said with a big bright smile on her face. She slid open the door, and walked in, followed by Kurosaki, who shut the door behind them. "Can you please tell me wh... AHHH!"

The floor of the classroom they were in was littered with sharp, painful looking tools. A meat cleaner lay a few feet away, covered in blood. Next to it, a rust old saw, also encrusted in blood. They were just a few of the horrifying weapons that lay. A few old knives, a rusty drill, and, in the centre of the room, a pair old scissors. "W-What... is this..." Kurosaki gasped, backing away. "You know what's so funny about this room...?" Sachiko said. She was facing Kurosaki, and although her bangs obscured her eyes, her mouth was clearly twisted into a dark sinister smirk.

"̷̦͙͔͚̬T͎̞h̺̝͈̪̟̩ͅè̝ ͔͖̠̼̬̩͠f͏̥̫̭͈͇a͕͖̫̩̠͚̠c̡͈̭̟͍͇̼̗e҉͚̮̪s ̵̯͉̙p͓̦͎̗͞e̖͎̥̖̳o̲̘̯̬̳̯̤pl͚e҉̱̹̹̗ ͎̣̙̬̖m̷̰̮̳̣a̸̮͎̜͍̟k̦͇̳̪̥ę͇ ̗̥̱̕ẁ͚̝̠̙̱̩h҉̰̤͓e̬̝n͉͓ ̼͈̦͔̳̗t̪̬̤̳̰h̙̹͍̘ͅe͎̮̲͍ỵ̯͕͜ ̭̩̮̘̭͝g̣e̮͙͉̙̮͕̤t̵̯̼ ̘̜ͅh̫̤e͈r͘e͉̠̙.̴̳̱̻̬̖̟.͙͔̥.͍̘̠͈͢"̤̲̳͉̳̪̖

(Later)

Kizami stared blankly at his best friend's corpse. It was nailed to the wall with construction grade lynchpins, which had pierced through his hands. Two more lynchpins had been jammed into his eyes. He'd been cut from the neck down to his waist, exposing his ribs, organs, and a pair of scissors that had been stabbed into his still attached heart.

Kizami continued staring at the body, but he was also simultaneously analysing himself, searching for any kind of grief, sadness, or anger. He found none.

 _Not like I expected to. Kurosaki... heh. I don't know how you deluded yourself into thinking you were my best friend. It's a shame. I wanted to be the one to kill you... oh well... they say you feel the pain of your death for all eternity here... how unfortunate for you in particular... Don't worry... you'll have Katayama and Ohkawa to keep you company..._

Chuckling softly, Kizami turned and headed towards the door. He slid it open... and stopped. He turned back and looked at Kurosaki's corpse. And this time... He felt something. A brief, strange, empty feeling. If Yuuya didn't know any better... he'd call it... loneliness.

Frowning, Kizami shook off the feeling, walked out the room, shut the door behind him, and resumed his wanderings through the dark halls of Heavenly Host.

CHAPTER 2

END

A/N

What a great note to end a chapter on! Actually, I'd have to say that this part was the most fun to write so far. Let's see if any can beat it! Next up is CHAPTER 3 which will focus on a new set of characters (with Yuuya in the background somewhere), and will introduce... the second mystery character. Leave a review and tell me what you thought of this chapter, and who you think the second mystery character is.

Until next time! Farewell!

P.S. I don't plan on ALL the chapters being composed of three parts.

A/N


	8. CHAPTER 3 (1)

CHAPTER 3 (1)

"You alright Shinozaki?" Yoshiki Kishinuma asked, concerned. His companion, Ayumi Shinozaki, couldn't reply. She was too choked up with tears and sobs. Just minutes earlier, the two had witnessed one of their closest friends, Mayu Suzumoto, die in front of them. Flung at a wall at high speed by two ghosts, and completely pulverized. "I... I'm fine..." Ayumi eventually replied, her cheeks stained with tears. Yoshiki give her an unconvinced look, but let's it slide.

 _I can't believe it... Suzumoto... she's gone... I can't imagine how Morishige will react. The two were so close... and she with her transfer today,_ Yoshiki thought, a depressed look on his face. "Come on Kishinuma..." Ayumi said wiping her tears away. "We should... find the others." Yoshiki nodded, and the two set off.

(Later)

"I can't believe how massive this school is!" Yoshiki marvelled as they made their way through another hallway. "Finding Mochida and the others could be a problem," Ayumi said. "What do you think we'll do if we do find them?" Yoshiki asked. "Get out of course!" Ayumi replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "But... that ghost we met..." Yoshiki began.

"Don't tell me you believe that crap!" Ayumi interrupted. "We WILL find the others, and we WILL find a way out!" She shouted. "Okay okay!" Yoshiki hurriedly said. "I'm just saying that-"

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH"

The sudden scream made both students jump in surprise. "AHH!" Ayumi cried. "What the hell was that?!" Yoshiki asked as he looked around, searching for the source of the noise. His answer came in the form of several slow, heavy footsteps. The sound seemed to come from the direction they had just come from. Then, the person who had caused the scream appeared, and Yoshiki and Ayumi gasped in horror as what looked like a zombie appeared from around the corner. The "man", had blood red eyes, chalk white skin, and was carrying a massive hammer.

"What the hell?!" Yoshiki shouted. "What... What is that?!" Ayumi screamed. The beast noticed them, and let out a bloodthirsty scream as it swung its hammer. "AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!" Slamming it's foot down, the man began moving towards them. "Shit! Shinozaki! Run!" Yoshiki ordered as he began running, Ayumi by his side. The man began running, determined not to let his pray escape. Eventually, the hall branched off into two separate halls.

"Quickly! This way!" Yoshiki said, about to move right. "Wait!" Ayumi shouted. "I've got a bad feeling about that hall. Let's go left!" She said. "We don't have time for this!" Yoshiki replied. "Exactly! So we should go left!" Ayumi insisted. Yoshiki sighed. "The right side looks like it leads to halls, so we can loose him there. We don't have time for thi-!"

 _WHACK!_

The rest of Yoshiki's sentence died in his throat as his eyes rolled into the back of his head, as blood began pouring from the wound in the back of his head, as he pitched forward, and fell face first on the floor, and went still. "AAAHHHHHH!" Ayumi screamed. "K-Kishinuma!" The zombie-like man lowered his hammer, and stared at Yoshiki's still body for a few seconds, before turning his attention towards Ayumi.

"No... no..." she whimpered as she took a trembling step back. The man took a step towards her. "NOOOOOO!" Ayumi screamed as she took off, her eyes wide with fear, with pain, with grief. "OOOOOORRRRRRRR!" The man screamed as he ran after her, swinging his hammer.

"NOOOO! SOMEONE! HELP! AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

(Elsewhere)

"So... we're stuck here?" Mitsuki asked, a worried look on her face. "Yes... I was never able to find an exit when I was alive," the blue ghost said. "And the others are in these... closed spaces you say?" Fukuroi said. The two had regained consciousness a short while ago, and had found themselves in a room in this old school building. No explanation, nobody in sight, surrounded by corpses. Until this ghost had appeared, and explained the mechanics of the place they were trapped in.

"I refuse to believe that," Fukuroi said. "Huh? But... didn't you hear what he said?" Mitsuki asked. "I heard," Fukuroi replied. "But... we have to try don't we? Somewhere in this school are our friends... Kizami, Kurosaki, Ohkawa, Kai, and the others. As the student council president, it's my duty to guarantee the safety of everyone from Byakudan."

Mitsuki remained silent for a few seconds, before smiling. "You're right. If they're here somewhere, we'll find them," she agreed. "Heh," the blue flame chuckled. "An admirable soul. Do not falter in your step, and perhaps... you may find your friends..." With that, he disappeared. "Come on, Fukuroi," Mitsuki said. "Yes. Let's go," Fukuroi replied as he pushed up his glasses and walked out the door with Mitsuki.

(In another closed space)

Yuuya groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. He'd just been walking along, when suddenly he grew faint, and passed out. Sitting up, he looked at his environment. He seemed to be in the exact same place as before, but this place... somehow had a different feel to it. A different atmosphere almost. "This school is getting more and more twisted the longer I stay here..." Kizami grumbled as he stood up, and set off. After a few minutes, he passed by a girls toilets. He only noticed it in passing though, and walked right passed it.

"NOOOOO! NAOMI!"

Kizami froze in place. Slowly, he turned towards the girls bathroom. Someone was there. After a few seconds of internal debating, he slowly walked towards the closed door. It was completely silent now. Not a single sound, other than his own footsteps, could be heard. Yuuya slid the door open, and peeked inside.

It wasn't much different from the other rooms. Old, littered with holes, the occasional corpse. On the other side of the room were several stalls, all closed, and on the wall next to the door, were three grimy sinks. "Oi. Anyone in here?" Kizami called. No response. Kizami walked into the room, looking for any sign of a living person. "I know I heard something from here... wait. Didn't they call... Naomi?"

Kizami grinned as he remembered the short, brown haired girl he'd encountered. He remembered the look of terror on her face as he wrapped his hands around her neck, the sound it made when it snapped... whoever called out her name must have been on of the friends she came with. Approaching the stalls, and opened them one by one. The first two contained nothing. The third one though...

"W-What the hell?!" Kizami gasped, stepping back. There was a corpse hanging in the stalls, a girl, with a noose around her neck. She was wearing the exact same uniform was Naomi, and had the exact same hair colour, but in curls. Blood was dripping from her open mouth, and her eyes were wide and empty. But that wasn't the most disgusting thing. It was that the corpse was _fresh..._ So fresh it may as well have been killed a few seconds ago. Kizami stared in shock for a few seconds, before chuckling.

"Heh... hehehe... Hahaha..." he was smiling now, his eyes wide with a mixture of repulsion and fascination. "Hahahaha! AAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! So... You must be Seiko Shinohara eh?!" He asked, a sick grin on his face. As expected, Seiko didn't answer. "What a horrid corpse!" Kizami continued. "So disgustingly fresh... almost as if you were still alive..." He reached out to touch her cheek. "I wonder if you feel like you're alive..."

"Wow. You're sick."

Yuuya's twisted smile disappeared as he processed the voice. Slowly, a dark, smirk found its way onto his face as he remembered who the voice belonged to. "That depends on one's definition of sick... Shimada," he said, turning towards the door. Sure enough, Kai was there, leaning against the doorway. "I'm gonna have sooo much dirt on you by the time we get out..." Kai said, a smirk of his own on his lips.

(Elsewhere)

Emi ran though the halls, eventually stopping in a random hallway. She'd been here before. Panting heavily, she turned around and ran back. "Where... is everyone?!" She sobbed, tears falling down her cheeks. She'd woken up awhile ago, by herself, in this dark, abandoned elementary school, with nobody but corpses. She stopped. She'd been here before. With a cry of despair, she collapsed to her knees. "Everyone! Where are you?!" She cried. She stayed like that for awhile, sobbing her heart out. Nobody around to hear her. Just some corpses. Nobody else...

"Are you alright?"

"Huh...?" Emi stopped crying then she heard the unfamiliar voice. She looked up, and standing in front of her was a boy. She slowly stood up, and took in his appearance. The first thing she noticed was how tall he was. He was only a few inches shorter than Kizami, maybe an inch taller than Shimada, and nearly a foot taller than Emi herself. He had bluish, wavy hair, and green eyes resting behind a pair of glasses. He was wearing an unfamiliar uniform consisting of a gray gakuran uniform, his student ID pinned to his left, and blue uwabaki slippers with red socks. In his right hand he was holding an open phone, which seemed to have a flash of red on the screen, before he quickly shut it.

"I-I'm fine!" Emi hurriedly said, wiping away her tears, somewhat surprised at the stranger. "Are you sure? You're shaking, and crying," he said, staring at her with a blank expression, that reminded her somewhat of Kizami. "I'm fine!" Emi insisted. "M-My name is Emi Urabe. I'm an 11th grader for Byakudan Senior High School." The boy stared at her with the same Kizami-like expression, before giving her a somewhat soft smile.

"Nice to meet you. I'm an 11th grader from Kisaragi Academy. My name is Sakutaro Morishige."

A/N

Ahhh yes. Morishige. The Kizami of Kisaragi Academy. Of course he's gonna be in here! I had him planned from the start. I hope you enjoy his creepy antics! Any who, CHAPTER 3 will focus on Fukuroi and Mitsuki. There will also be a little side story with Kai and Yuuya. Why? Because I can't be the only one wanting a fight between these two! Until then, leave a review, and tell me what you thought. Goodbye!

P.S. I apologize to Yoshiki fans. Don't kill me.

A/N


	9. CHAPTER 3 (2)

CHAPTER 3 (2)

"So tell me... Urabe. Did you also fall victim to the Sachiko Everafter Charm?" Morishige asked. He and Emi were aimlessly wandering the school with no particular goal. "Yeah, I'm the one who... suggested we do it..." Emi hesitantly replied. Her eyes began to shimmer. "I would hate if I caused all this..." she said, beginning to sniffle a bit.

"Don't worry," Morishige said. "You didn't mean harm, so you can not be blamed." Emi looked up at him, surprised. The tall boy was staring straight ahead, not a single emotion on his face. He could be so gentlemanly, so kind... and yet he had a look in is eye that implied there was so much more to him. His gaze was harsh but soft, his speech slow and professional, yet cold and disinterested. When he looked at a corpse, his eyes gained a strange... appearance. It was almost like they... darkened slightly.

"You know Morishige," Emi said. Morishige looked at her out of the corner of his eyes. "You really reminded me of a classmate of mine," Emi continued. "Really?" Morishige replied in a bored tone of voice. "His name is Yuuya Kizami. You're pretty similar!" Emi finished.

Morishige's eyes widened slightly when he heard that name. A look of mild surprise came across his face. "Hmmm? What's wrong?" Emi asked, a concerned look on her face. Morishige retained his surprised look for a few seconds, before his usual deadpan expression returned. "Nothing," he said blankly. Emi frowned at him for a few seconds, before letting the topic slide, and the two continued to walk in silence.

(Elsewhere)

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

"Huh?!" Fukuroi said as the terrified scream echoed around him. "W-What was that?!" Mitsuki demanded looking around for the source of the scream. "Look! Someone's coming!" Fukuroi said, pointing in the direction they had been walking in. A figure ran out of the darkness ahead and came into view.

It was a girl, around their age, with blue pigtails and was slightly shorter that Mitsuki. She wearing an unfamiliar uniform consisting of a tan sailor top, and a blue skirt. Her grey eyes were wide with terror. She seemed focused only on running and didn't even notice Fukuroi or Mitsuki until they called out to her.

"Hey!" Fukuroi yelled. "Are you okay?!" Mitsuki asked. The girl stopped and fell to her knees, panting and gasping. "Can't stop... Can't stop..." she repeatedly between breaths. The two Byakudan students ran up to her. "What's wrong?!" Fukuroi said, crouching down in front of her. "Are you alright... Shinozaki?" Mitsuki asked, reading the girl's name tag.

"NO! NOOOOO!" Shinozaki screamed as she get to her feet and continued running. "NOOOOOOOO! HELP!" She cried as she dashed away into the darkness. "Wait!" Mitsuki called. But she didn't turn back. She just kept running and screaming until she had faded from view.

"What happened to her?" Fukuroi said, staring at the direction Shinozaki went in. "I don't know... She seemed to think she was being chased..." Mitsuki said. The two remained motionless for a few seconds, before turning to face the direction the girl had come from.

Nobody was coming.

"Maybe she just lost it," Fukuroi suggested. "In a place like this, I doubt that would be very hard." Mitsuki bit her lip nervously. "Come on. We can't just stand here," she said. Fukuroi nodded, and the two continued walking in their original direction, slightly on edge as they were swallowed up by the darkness.

(Later)

"AHHH!" Mitsuki screamed, backing away. "W-WHAT?!" Fukuroi yelled in disbelief. In front of them were, at first, what they assumed to be four more of the odd corpses. However, when they got closer, they noticed that there were only two corpses. They'd both been beheaded. However, that wasn't the most terrifying thing. The corpses were wearing the Byakudan Senior High School uniform, and the heads still had their hair; sand brown, and a darker, somewhat curly brown.

"K-Katayama... Ohkawa... Why..." Fukuroi said he fell to his knees, clutching his head in his hands. "No! No!" Mitsuki wailed as stared with wide, horrified eyes at the corpses of two of her closest friends. "How... What happened?!" She cried. Fukuroi slowly lifted his head, and noticed they were next to a stairwell. At the foot of the stairs, was a red piece of piano wire. It didn't take a genius to figure out what it was.

Fukuroi slowly got to his feet, his eyes swimming. "Mitsuki... there's nothing we can do..." he said, struggling not to collapse in grief. Mitsuki didn't say anything, just buried her face in Fukuroi's chest and continued crying. Fukuroi looked at the bodies of two of his best friends, allowing a tear to run down his cheek, before closing his eyes, turning around, and leading Mitsuki away.

̵͔͈͍̳̱̹̝K̥̯̣̝i̡̞̝͎͇ͅ.̛̲̩̜.̣.̞͍͓̝̞̕ ͎͙z͚̠̤̲̥a̘̮̖̗̩ͅ.̝͓͈̜͔̘͘.҉.̯̞̗͎̣m̶̩̪̞͙͓̹i̷͙̭̦̙͇͎.̷͖̞̗̟.̫͍̖.͉̩̳

Fukuroi stopped, confusion breaking his look of sorrow. He turned back towards the corpses. He could have sworn he heard...

Fukuroi shook his head, and continued leading the sobbing Mitsuki away, who hadn't heard a thing.

 _Maybe I'm just getting paranoid... funny... I could have sworn I heard someone say..._ _Kizami?_

(Elsewhere)

"And I thought killing animals wasn't fucked up enough..." Kai said, a casual smirk on his face as he leaned nonchalantly against the bathroom door. Yuuya simply grinned at him. "That implies that you're afraid Shimada... You certainly seemed a little pale yesterday..." he said softly. "Yeah right!" Kai scoffed. "Although, I am curious... why the fuck were you hunting animals?!" He yelled. Kizami simply chuckled. "It was a filthy beast. No more deserving of it's life than any other being."

Kai's eyes widened slightly, before narrowing. "You fucking psycho..." he grumbled. "HA! Don't act like you're any better!" Yuuya sneered, a cold smirk on his face. "You're a weak, pathetic specimen. You're focused only on obtaining sexual pleasure and asserting dominance over slightly weaker specimens... You're a disgrace."

Kai ground his teeth in fury. "You piece of shit... I'M GOING TEAR YOU APART!" He yelled as he leaped across the bathroom and launched his right fist, aiming at Kizami's face. Kizami didn't even flinch, just caught the fist like he was catching a ball. "Tch. How predicta-"

Then, out of the blue, Kai swung his left wrist at Yuuya's head. The heavy silver watch slammed into Yuuya's cheek, leaving quite the bruise. "GHH!" He yelled as stumbled back, letting go of Kai's wrist. Kai leapt back and smirked at his foe.

"Let's see just how pathetic I really am huh?" He said, getting ready to launch at Kizami again. Yuuya touched his bruise slightly, and seemed shocked to feel the dull echo of pain. He looked at Kai, a mixture of anger, but also amusement in his eyes. "Heh. Let's do this..." he said, staring Kai dead in the eyes. Cold grey clashed with bright blue, and as the two looked in each other's eyes, they each knew that they wouldn't stop until either one of them could not continue.

For a few seconds they stared at each other, smirking. Then, at the same time, they dashed towards each other, their fists pulled back, their mouths open, yelling out one last sentence before their deathmatch.

 _"It's... SHOWTIME!"_

A/N

I had to use that line.

Anyways, it's Kai Shimada Vs Yuuya Kizami. Place your bets! Who's the winner? Only I know that! So you have to take a guess! Go on!

And yeah. The people are finally starting to realize that their group is slowly dying. Three down, six left... who will live, and who will die...

I know. And I'm not telling. Bye.

A/N


	10. CHAPTER 3 (3)

CHAPTER 3 (3)

 _Bash!Bash!_

Kai and Yuuya both reeled back as both their fists hit the other at the same time, sending stumbling back a few feet. Kizami though, recovered more quickly, and launched himself at the still dazed Kai.

"GHH!" The redhead cried as Yuuya drove his fist into Kai's stomach. He bend over, clutching his midsection in pain, as Kizami grinned at him and raised his fist for another strike. Then, Kai, ignoring the pain in his gut, jumped up and slammed the top of his head into Kizami's chin.

"GHGL!" The taller boy yelled as he stumbled back a few feet. Kai took the opportunity to catch his breath, and bent over, panting slightly. "Heh... hahaha..." Yuuya chuckled softly as he rubbed his chin.

"It seems the weak, pathetic Kai Shimada who lay in an alley, hurt and beaten, has evolved..." he said, his usually cold and expressionless gaze holding a mixture of anger, insanity, and amusement.

"I'd... I'd rather be put through hell... than lose to you..." Kai panted, before standing up straight. "And I don't care if I kill myself doing doing this..." he said. "As long as I can bring you down with me!" He yelled as he dashed towards Kizami, who smirked slightly before raising his fists. "This is going to be good..." he said as he leapt towards his rival head on, losing himself in his bloodlust.

(Elsewhere)

"Hey! Fukuroi! I found something!" Mitsuki said, her eyes still red from crying. The two were in the staff room that looked no different from the rest of the school, looking for anything of significance. Fukuroi stopped what he was doing, and walked over to Mitsuki. In her hands was what seemed to be a newspaper article, and a cassette tape.

"What are these things doing in here?" Fukuroi asked, crouching down next to her. "I don't know. Maybe someone brought them here," Mitsuki suggested. "Let's read the newspaper paper first," she said, stuffing the tape in her pocket, before straightening out the crumpled, stained paper.

 _ **Strange But True: Stories of the Occult] 1**_

 _ **Chasing Down the Hidden Past of the Cursed School Building (-It Really Exists!)**_

 _ **By Kou Kibiki**_

 _ **Over the course of several days, a series of incidents occurred within this town in which young children disappeared one after another. Their whereabouts were ultimately discovered through a thorough police investigation, but said findings were very much a worst case scenario. Three of the missing children were found dead in a concealed room beneath Heavenly Host Elementary, officially unused throughout the school's history. The fourth missing child was thankfully still alive, quaking in fear on the ground, presumably only moments away from demise when police arrived. Capping off this nightmarish scene was an adult male member of the school's teaching staff who seemed to be in a state of confusion. In his hands were a pair of bloodied scissors. The surviving elementary school student, after psychological counseling, gave official testimony fingering the scissor-man as abductor and murderer. The staff member in question was officially charged with multiple counts of abduction and murder of minors, as well as desecration of the dead. He was quickly taken to trial, where an insanity plea spared him from prison or death, but resulted in his compulsory admittance to a mental hospital.**_

 _ **Interestingly, the perpetrator of these crimes was none other than the school principal's own son, who was widely renowned for his jovial personality. However, due to a mental ailment of unknown origin, he'd begun losing his ability to speak little by little during his years teaching at Heavenly Host. Once his speech was all but gone, he began searching for alternate places of employment, which occupied him for several months prior to the crime. The results of this endeavor were not favorable, however, and most of his days were spent staggering idly through the streets. His reputation quickly degraded. Several months after his admittance to the mental hospital, he managed to slip past the many nurses on duty and escape the premises. Immediately upon doing so, he made his way into the concealed basement room at Heavenly Host Elementary, where he took his own life by hanging.**_

 _ **The three children he had killed were all Heavenly Host Elementary students... ...but the one girl who was rescued from the gaping maw of eternal slumber was not. Following her close call, she and her family moved to another prefecture, far from the memories that no doubt would have otherwise haunted them forever. Sadly, this was only the beginning of the misfortune that would hereafter plague the school, which had already earned itself many an unsettling rumor. Over the next few years, Heavenly Host would become a stage for countless incidences of rape, molestation and suicide. With student registration and attendance dwindling at an alarming rate in response to these crimes, the school was eventually shut down. (1975-11-18) The 60-year-old principal at the time had become infamous as an eccentric who adorned his walls, doors and furniture with incomprehensible graffiti. Even later forensic analysis of the writings throughout his office could make little sense of his haphazardly-scribbled enumerations. And the day after the school's closure date was finalized, this aged eccentric threw himself from its roof. He broke his neck on impact, dying instantly. As you can clearly discern, the sordid history of this school is indeed awful - but there may be more to it than merely a series of unfortunate incidents. A power greater than any of us can comprehend may be acting as puppeteer from the shadows, maintaining an actual, tangible curse upon this property. And the key to it all lies with the sole survivor - the girl who bore witness to the brutal murders and mutilations of three children no older than she. The girl in the red dress. The one who got away. My investigation into the supernatural side of this horrific massacre is only just beginning. Rest assured, I intend to make this a regular feature. I've begun gathering data for a follow-up report, so stay tuned: The next issue promises to uncover more details in this morbidly fascinating story...**_

Along with the report were several pictures of the school, showing the outside and some of the rooms.

"Mitsuki... doesn't that room seem familiar...?" Fukuroi asked hesitantly. "Huh?" Mitsuki said, a confused look on her face. "What are you talking..." she trailed off as she began to look around the staff room they were in. "This is... that room in the picture..." she said slowly, a look of dread in her eyes. Fukuroi nodded slowly.

"It would appear that even before the supernatural began to inhabit this place, it already had quite a history," he said. "Perhaps this... Kou Kibiki came here to investigate." Mitsuki frowned as she looked over the paper. "But... How did he know that the school still-"

"Give me that."

Suddenly, a hand swiped the report out of Mitsuki's hands. The two leaped to their feet in shock. There was a girl their age standing in front of them, with short, dark blue hair, glasses, and eyes so cold and lifeless they wouldn't look out of place on a corpse. She was wearing a maroon blazer and a blue skirt, with a jumper tied around her waist.

"W-Who are you?!" Fukuroi demanded. "I'm the ghost of someone who died here," the girl said, in a dead, flat tone of voice that matched her eyes. She turned her back to the two and began looking over the paper, her deadpan expression never once changing. "H-Hey! You can just take that!" Mitsuki said, in a half angry, half scared voice. "Calm down Mitsuki! Maybe it belonged to her," Fukuroi said.

The girl turned her head slightly in their direction, so she was staring at them through the corner of her eye. "No. It belonged to someone that I knew," she said blankly, before turning her attention back to the report. "Oh? So... You came here with Kou Kibiki?" Fukuroi asked.

For a few seconds, the girl didn't do anything, like someone had frozen her. Then, she turned around slowly to face them, her expressionless face replaced with a somewhat amused smirk.

"You two go to Byakudan Senior High School, don't you?" She said. "Huh?! How do you know?!" Mitsuki asked. "I found some of your friends earlier," the girl said, never once losing her smirk. "Kai Shimada... and Tohko Kirisaki if I remember..." Fukuroi and Mitsuki's eyes widened.

"You... You saw them?!" Fukuroi said. "Yes... although when I checked in on them last, they were both in a rather unpleasant situation..." the girl replied. "What?! Where are they?!" Mitsuki demanded. The girl's smirk only grew wider. In fact, it was being to look less like a smirk and more like she simply baring her teeth. Her glasses shone slightly in the dim lighting. The two Byakudan students stepped back slightly.

"Now... It would be much fun if I told you, would it..." the girl whispered. She began walking towards the two, who began walking backwards. "Don't worry. They should be alright. Although... It has been awhile since I checked on them..." she teased. "It's possible that they've been killed since then... it's not impossible in here after all..."

"SHUT UP!" Mitsuki screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks. Fukuroi jumped at the sudden outburst. "Huh?! Mitsuki" She just ignored him, and collapsed to her knees. "JUST SHUT UP!" She continued. Fukuroi glared slightly at the other girl in the room, who had regained her expressionless face.

"Forgive me. I got a bit carried away," she apologized. "A bit...?" Fukuroi sighed. "Anyways, I have to go now," the girl said, turning around and walking to the back of the room, which was shrouded in darkness.

"W-Wait! Do you know where Kai and Kirisaki are? You saw them right!" Fukuroi yelled. The girl stopped, turned around, and stared blankly at him. "Don't you remember what I said? It wouldn't be much fun if I told you..." With that, she turned around, and slid into the darkness, the report still in her hands.

Fukuroi stared after her for a few seconds, before crouching down next to Mitsuki, who was busy wiping her eyes. "Mitsuki, are you alright? She's gone now," he comforted. "Y-Yeah..." Mitsuki replied, standing up slowly. "Unfortunately, she took the report with her," Fukuroi sighed, getting up as well. "We could have used that." The two stood in silence for a few seconds, before Mitsuki let out a small giggle. "Hmmm? What's funny?" Fukuroi asked.

Mitsuki smiled, and reached into her skirt pocket, pulling out the tape. "Seems that ghosts don't have X-ray vision!" She chuckled. "Good job Mitsuki!" Fukuroi said. "If we can find a cassette player, then we might be able to find out something interesting!" Mitsuki nodded. "Yeah! Come on!" She said, dashing towards the door. "Eh? W-Wait up!" Fukuroi yelled as he ran after her.

(Elsewhere)

Kai and Yuuya stood, hunched over, panting heavily. Kai's face was covered in bruises, his clothes were disheveled and dirty, and a throbbing pain was in his shoulder. Kizami had few bruises, but he had a noticeably large one on his cheek, and his mouth had a trickle of blood dripping from its corner. His blazer had fallen from his shoulder, and lay unnoticed on the floor.

"AAAAARRRGGHHH!" Kai screamed at the top of his lungs as he ran at Kizami, his fist drawn back, his cyan eyes clouded with rage. Yuuya simply grinned, and sidestepped. Kai stumbled forward, and that's when Yuuya made his move. Faster than the redhead could process, Yuuya's hand wrapped around Kai's neck, and squeezed hard.

"Gh..!" Kai gasped and clawed at Kizami wrist, but he wasn't letting go. Kai could feel his lungs beginning to strain, demanding oxygen. His face was beginning to turn a light red. "Well... Shimada..." Kizami said, his mouth twisted into a sick, sadistic smirk. "Looks like your luck has run out.." he whispered, not once loosening his grip. Kai lashed out his leg at Kizami's, hoping to catch him off guard. However, the taller boy simply slammed his foot on Kai's, making him gasp in pain, costing him even more air. Yuuya, sensing Kai's end drawing near, tightened his grip further.

 _Is this... really how I die... no... I can't..._

 _Fuku... roi..._

 _Kiri... sa... ki..._

"OOOOORRRRRRRR!"

Kizami's look of sick pleasure and Kai's pain ridden expression were both replaced by an identical look of confusion. Yuuya's grip loosened as the two stared at each other, as if asking one another for an answer. Then, at the same time, they slowly turned their heads towards the bathroom door.

 _STOMP!STOMP!_

Loud, heavy footsteps echoed throughout the area as a massive, black figure entered the room and stepped into the dim light. It was the same hammer wielding zombie from before. He stared at the two, who were still in the exact same position as before. Then, without warning, the monster slammed its hammer against the in wall, leaving a massive hole in its place. "Ahhh... AHHHHHHHHH!"

For a few seconds, Kai and Yuuya just stared at the intruder. Then, they both muttered a single word under their breaths, as the beast began running towards them.

"Shit..."

A/N

"What's this?! A new challenger has entered the ring! Weighing in at 85kg and standing at 175cm, Yoshikazu Yanagihori!"

"Will Kai and Yuuya manage to defeat this true beast among beasts, or will they join their deceased classmates in the Nirvana? Find out in... I don't know... whenever the author gets on to it! Oi SF74! When's the next chapter?!"

 _I don't know... when I feel like it..._

"Not good enough! These people need to see an epic fight no-"

 _Piss off or else I'll kick you out of this A/N..._

"Goodbye Folks! I'm the announcer! Signing off!"

 _Tch... anyways, and tell me what you thought and what you think will happen next. Until next time. See ya._

A/N


	11. CHAPTER 3 (4)

CHAPTER 3 (4)

 _SMASH!_

Kai and Yuuya leapt apart from each other as the massive hammer slammed on the area they originally where. Yuuya stared in shock at the beastly intruder, his eyes wide with fascination and disgust. Kai, who was rubbing his sore throat, had a similar look in his eyes. "Damn... not you again..." he groaned.

"You've encountered this monstrosity?" Kizami asked as said monstrosity turned towards Kai. "Ahhh... AHHHHHHHHHH!" It screamed as it dashed at the redhead, swinging it's hammer wildly. Fortunately, Kai had recovered from his NDE and ducked under the hammers arc, before running to the other side of the room where Kizami was.

"Yeah. That fucker tried to kill me and Kirisaki..." Kai said, now standing next to his rival. The zombie turned, and seeing Kai and Kizami standing next to each other, pounded it's hammer into the floor, like a taunt. "It appears that it isn't just going to let us go," Yuuya said. "Fucking duh!" Kai replied. "Heh. Perhaps this beast will give me a good fight..." Kizami said as he stepped forward to meet the monster's challenge.

"AAAGGGGGHHHHH!" The "man" screamed as it ran forward, slamming it's hammer down. Kizami simply sidestepped, raised his arm, and crashed his fist into the monster's throat, smirking slightly. However, to his surprise, the attack barely made it stagger, and it swung it's hammer once again.

Yuuya leapt back, just barely dodging the attack. "Don't be retarded. That thing ain't going down," Kai said. "Tch... so it seems..." Kizami grumbled, his brain struggling to find a way out of this situation.

 _What can I do? This hell spawn will kill both of us if we're not careful..._

 _Perhaps... could I somehow use Shimada to distract him..._

 _No... it's far too risky... besides, my time here will be much more annoying with this beast prowling the halls..._

"Incoming!" Kai shouted as he dived to the left. Kizami snapped out of his thoughts to see the zombie running towards him. He dived to the right, and the attack missed by a hair.

 _Dammit... guess I have no other choice..._

"Shimada!" Yuuya called as the large man turned his attention towards him. "If we're to defeat this demon and escape this room alive, we have to work together," he said as he leapt away from another attack.

"Huh?! You have to be joking!" Kai yelled. "True, it isn't very desirable, but I'm sure you want to live at least a little longer," the taller boy said, as he ducked under the hammers swing. "Tch..." Kai considered his opinions briefly, before letting out a groan.

"Ahhh... you better not tell anyone about- THIS!" he said as he narrowly dodged a wide swing. The "man" seemed to take their talking as an insult, and his attacks had become wilder.

"Enough chatter!" Yuuya said, just barely avoiding decapitation and jumping over to Kai's side. "LET'S DO THIS!" He cried in English, a smug smirk on his face. "Never say that again," Kai said as the two stood their ground against the screaming beast.

(Elsewhere)

Morishige silently slid open the door and observed the room within, his deadpan expression still present. "Come on..." he said as he stepped in, followed by a hesitant Emi. The room was more or less the same as the rest of the school; old, littered with holes, rotting desks, ect.

"D-Do you think anything is in here Morishige?" Emi asked, shivering slightly. "It's possible that any room may hold something unique, so we should search all we can," the stoic boy replied. Emi nodded, and followed him around the room as he observed his surroundings. Eventually, the two came across the inevitable corpse. It must have been here for awhile, since it was little more than skin and bone. The skin was a rotten brown, and it's black hair was falling out, leaving black tufts on its decomposing scalp. The eyes were completely missing, leaving two black, empty holes.

"A-Ahhhh..." Emi whimpered. She still hadn't gotten used to the corpses, and looked away. She looked up to Morishige as if a small child looking at their parent for reassurance. However, the look on his face only added confusion to her mix of emotions.

He was still more or less deadpan, but his lips and hands were now twitching slightly, and his mouth was drawn in a tight line across his face. His glasses had slipped down his nose slightly, and suddenly seemed as if all the light in the room had focused on the lenses. His pupils were noticeably wider. He seemed to be almost... suppressing something...

"Perhaps I should explore the rest of the room alone..." Morishige said, his voice soft and quiet, as if in awe. "Huh? But why?" Emi asked. Morishige turned to face her. "You're afraid aren't you? Why don't you wait outside?" He said, a somewhat sly smile on his face. Emi frowned slightly, but she was the type that found it hard to say no. "Uhh... o-okay... don't be long..." she said as she backed away towards the door, Morishige staring at her silently, until she exited the room, and shut the door behind her.

"Brrrr... it's really chilly in here..." Emi said as she leaned against the classroom window, arms wrapped around her torso. "Where are you all...?" She moaned, her eyes watering slightly. "I just wanted us all to be together forever... Tohko... Mitsuki... Shimada..."

 _Click!_

"Hmmmm?" Emi looked around, confused. "Was that a... camera?" She asked. Slowly, she turned around to face the window she'd been leaning against. "It sounded like it came from the room... is Morishige taking pictures of something?" She wondered. She quietly walked over to the door before resting her hand on the handle.

 _Morishige told me to stay out here... but... I am curious..._

Then, without warning, the door slid open, and Morishige stood in the now open doorway. His expression had returned to his normal deadpan look. "AHH!" Emi jumped back in surprise. "What were you doing?" Morishige asked. "N-Nothing! I just... I... heard something and thought I'd... I'd check!" Emi sputtered, her face red.

Morishige stared blankly at her for a few seconds before replying. "I don't know what you're talking about. Nothing is in that room," he said. "O-Oh... okay," Emi replied. "Come on. We should be going," the tall boy said as he began walking along the hall. Emi hesitated, a confused and worried look on her face.

 _There's something really weird about him... I shouldn't be judging people... but..._

"Urabe! Are you coming?"

"Ahh! S-Sure!"

(With Kai and Yuuya)

"AAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHH!" The man screamed as he slammed his hammer into the ground. The two students were quick though and both sidestepped at the same time. "Now!" Kizami yelled. The two leaped forward and landed on both sides of their opponent, before ramming into his side's at top speed. Unfortunately, the man was built like a tank, and the two just bounced off him harmlessly.

"Tch... guy is tough I'll give him that..." Kai grumbled. "It seems that head on attacks are useless against him," Kizami noted. "Well?! What do we do?!" Kai yelled as the monstrosity began walking towards him, it's hammer swinging wildly. "I'm thinking..." Kizami replied as he observed his opponent. "ARE YOU SERIOUSLY JUST STANDING THERE?!" Kai screamed as he narrowly dodged the man's attacks, while Yuuya just followed the monsters movements.

 _Hmmm... it seems to be a bit on the slow side... but could we use that our advantage..?_

 _Unlikely... it's so bulky it just shrugs off attacks like nothing... perhaps I could somehow break some bones... the neck?_

 _No. It's bones are probably stronger than it's flesh since it's carrying that massive hammer... odd, that it hasn't decayed, since it's obviously a corpse... I would at least expect it's nose to be gone since it's..._

 _...made of..._

 _..._

Kizami's lips slowly curved upwards into a sinister grin. "OI! KIZAMI!" Kai cried. The beast was still pursuing him around the room, and the redhead was steadily growing more tired. "Shimada! Can you try and daze him?" Yuuya yelled. "DAZE HIM?! HOW?!" Kai yelled back.

The massive man chose that moment to charge at Kai, who let out a surprisingly shrill scream as he just barely leapt out of the way. The monster, though, was still charging at top speed, and slammed face first into the wall. It stumbled back, letting out a painful groan.

"Like that..." Kizami said, a dark smirk on his face. As the man turned towards him, Yuuya leapt forward, and rather than forming a fist, opened his hand, and slammed his open palm against the man's nose as hard as he could.

 _CRACK!_

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The beast let out an inhuman, primal scream as it clutch it's face. Yuuya looked on in glee and Kai stared in shock as the monster cried and screamed in pain. It was likely that was the first injury it had gained in a long time, and one that would burden it for awhile. The beast turned towards the door and stumbled out, wailing and screaming, it's hammer clutched loosely in it's other hand.

For a few seconds, the two just stood in silence. Until, Kizami grinned and turned towards Kai. "We make a better team than I expected," he said. "Team?! You just stood there while that thing nearly killed me?!" Kai yelled back. "No. I delivered the finishing blow, taking advantage off the opening you provided," Yuuya replied. Kai grumbled slightly before shoving his hand in his pockets.

"Yeah, whatever... Now what?" He asked. "We could continue wandering the school together," Kizami suggested. "HA! Like fuck!" Kai laughed. "You can go wander, and I'm going off to find Kirisaki and the others, and then get the hell out!" Kizami raised his eyebrow.

"A way out? I don't think so. It's likely that we're trapped here for good," he explained, leaning against a wall with his eyes closed. "Hell no! Some ghost girl called Saenoki or something told us the way out!" Kai said.

Kizami's eyes flew open. Slowly, he turned his head towards Kai. "What?" He asked. "Yeah! We gotta appease some ghost kids, four I think, and we can all go!" Kai said, a grin on his lips. Kizami's brow furrowed slightly. "Are you... serious?" He asked. "Hell yeah! Even a psycho like you can get out!" Kai replied.

"So... we all aren't going to die... Then that means..." Kizami whispered to himself. "What are you mumbled about?" Kai asked. Kizami remained silent for a few seconds, before replying. "Nothing..." Kai looked at him curiously, before shrugging. "Whatever. See ya," he said, as he turned and began to walk out of the bathroom. Kizami nodded slightly, and cast his gaze towards the floor, a look of confusion on his face.

"Oi! Kizami!" Yuuya turned his head towards the door, and saw Kai was still there, grinning smugly at him. "Make sure you stay alive," he advised. "When we get back, I promise I'll settle our little scuffle earlier!" Kizami stared at him, before smirking back.

"Yeah. Keep safe Shimada. But not too safe."

(Later)

 _ **This time she's really out my life, oh**_

 _ **I know I gotta get her back**_

 _ **Just need one night to hit it right**_

 _ **But I can't get her alone, no**_

 _ **Know she deserves to up and leave**_

 _ **If it was me I'd do the same**_

 _ **I see that girl, know that she hopes**_

 _ **So I'll be damned to let it go, damned to let it go**_

Kai softly sang out load as he walked through the endless halls. It had been awhile since he'd parted ways with Kizami, and he hadn't found anyone since. He licked his dry lips, before resuming his singing.

 _ **I discover...**_

 _ **discover ...**_

 _ **I love her...**_

 _ **Oh, I gotta get her back...**_

He stopped mid-chorus. "Ahhh... fuck I'm thirsty..." he moaned as he forced himself forward. "Isn't there a fucking water fountain or something..." he grumbled as he rubbed his throat. Suddenly, his eyes widened as he suddenly remembered something.

 _Oh please God..._

He stopped walking and reached into his inside blazer pocket, and sure enough, his hand came into contact with something cold, metal, and small. "Yes... YES!" He yelled as he drew his hand from his pockets, and with it, a small, half-full flask of liquor. "Oh fuck yeah!" Kai cried in joy.

 _Finally! A fucking drink!_

Unscrewing and throwing away the lid, Kai grinned, put the flask to his lips, and tilted his head back.

What came out was not liquor.

A thick, warm, salty substance dribbled out of the flask and slowly slid down Kai's throat, not unlike syrup or honey. The redhead's eyes widened, and he instantly spit the liquid out.

A red spray ejected from his mouth, covering the wall a bright crimson. Kai stared in horror at the stain, before lifting his hand, rubbing his finger against his teeth, and looking at it.

It was now red.

For a few seconds, Kai just stood there, staring in pure, naked horror at his fingertip. "Ahhh... Ahhh..." he moaned as he looked at the wall, his finger, the flask, and back.

"Ahhhh... ahhhhh... AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

With a scream, he threw the flask as far away as he could, before running in the opposite direction. "AAAAAAAHHHHHH! AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" His eyes were wide, and his mouth hung open, red saliva dripping from his jaw. He had to find something to wash it away. To wash away the taste of blood.

"Ahhh..." he groaned as he slid open a random door. There had to be water here somewhere! He scanned the room frantically, until his gaze came across the wall next to him. And then he screamed again.

It was Kurosaki.

Or at least, his body. Mutilated, multiple tools stabbed into him, his entire torso cut open. He had been skewered until he had become something out of a nightmare.

"AAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHH!" Kai screamed as he ran from the room, clutching his head in his hands. He didn't know where he was going. He did care. He just ran. And ran... and ran... and ra-

"GHH!" He cried as he fell flat on his face, which landed in a hole in the floor. He pushed himself up, intent on resuming his running. But, as he lifted his face from the hole, he noticed something at the bottom. His temporary madness fading, Kai reached in and grabbed the object, before standing up and looking at it.

"Huh?" He said, frowning at the tiny object. "Who's Tok-"

 _WHACK!_

Kai didn't finish his sentence. Instead, his eyes rolled up into his head, and he pitched forward, slamming into the floor, where he remained motionless. Standing over him, clutching it's massive hammer, was the large man from before. One noticeable difference is that his nose, with no structure to support it, was falling in on itself, which just added to his disturbing appearance.

For a few seconds, the beast stared at his victim, before grabbing his leg and grabbing it's leg. Kai's body made no resistance as his still body was dragged throughout the halls...

... A small, brown, and slightly bloody pouch loosely held in his left hand...

... with a small name scribbled onto it...

 **Tokiko Tsuji**

CHAPTER 3

END

A/N

I bet you wanna know what's going to happen next huh? Of course you do. I bet you've got a ton of questions too. Well, looks like you gonna have to wait for CHAPTER 4. Oh yes, I'm gonna tell you something I've just figured out.

I know EXACTLY who's going to die, and EXACTLY how they will die...

I think I'll leave at that. Farewell...

 _ **Discover, by Chris Brown**_

A/N


	12. CHAPTER 4 (1)

CHAPTER 4 (1)

(Nine years ago)

8 year old Yuuya Kizami sat on the park bench by himself, slouching. His black bangs fell in front of his cold steel eyes, casting a shadow on his face. His hands were shoved in his vest pockets as he watched the autumn leaves fall around him. His lips were twisted in a dark, unsettling grimace, one wouldn't expect to see on someone so young. Although if you looked at him, you would have probably thought he was older.

"Tch... this fucking sucks..." he muttered under his breath. He'd been expelled from his elementary school a month ago for attacking a student with scissors. Which was rather unfair. After all, the boy still had his eye fully intact didn't he? The Kizami family then promptly moved to a new town, and Yuuya was immediately grounded. Today was the first day in a while he'd been out without a family member watching him.

His older siblings, naturally, fit right in. They both went to two different schools, and had reached the top in admiration and popularity in their respective territories. Yuuya didn't know what school Haruna went to, but he knew Kouki went to some place called Byakudan. He'd likely go there too, provided he didn't do anything... "twisted", as his sister had put it.

Yuuya himself had been sent to some local elementary school. Naturally, he kept to himself, and only spoke when needed. And yet, despite CLEARLY being a loner, and CLEARLY having no interest in anyone, he was extremely well known. Adults constantly praised him as an handsome young boy. The girls his age were head over heels for him, with his "beautifully crafted features, mysterious aura, and soft, slightly deep voice."

If only they knew...

"Those retards don't know me... they think they can tell by just looking at me..." Yuuya grumbled as he glared at nothing in particular. "This whole fuckin' place is pissing me off..." he sighed. He slowly closed his eyes, titled his head back slightly.

"These shitheads that say they love me, or want to be my friend... they don't know me..." the preteen whispered to himself. "Maybe if I had a younger brother... I'd understand what they were saying..." he said, as a soft smile graced his lips. "A little brother would be pretty sweet..." he muttered. "Although... I bet a little sister would be even better..." he said, his smile growing wider, becoming a little more unsettling.

"Heh... hahaha... Onii-Chan... that sounds good..."

"Hey! Hello!"

Yuuya's smile was instantly wiped off his face when he heard the voice. He opened his eyes to see a young boy around his age standing in front of him. He was wearing a green shirt with a logo, and blue shorts. He had vibrant purple hair, matching eyes, and a massive, cheery smile.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Yuuya asked, glaring slightly at the boy, who didn't seem the bit intimidated. "You're in my class right? Yuuya Kizami isn't it?" The boy grinned. "My Name is Kensuke Kurosaki! Nice to meet you!" Kurosaki said, raising his hand for a handshake. Yuuya didn't move an inch from his spot on the bench, and stared at the hand in displeasure. Kurosaki coughed slightly, before lowering his hand.

"Uhh... anyways! Do you want to play tennis?" The purple haired boy asked. "And why would I do that?" Yuuya replied, standing up from the bench, noting the height gap between them. Kurosaki only came up to his nose, although most kids his age did.

"It's a fun thing to do!" Kurosaki insisted, that dumb grin still on his face. Yuuya just scoffed, and turned around. "I have better things to do with my time," he said, walking off. "W-Wait! Don't go!" Kurosaki yelled. Grimacing, Yuuya turned. "What?!" He yelled back.

"Just try it out! I promise it's really good!" Kurosaki begged. Yuuya stared silently at him for a few seconds, before groaning and walking back to him. Kurosaki's face lit up. "Yay! Come on Kizami!" He said as he fleet off towards the courts, Yuuya walking behind him.

 _This guy is totally obnoxious... does he think we're gonna be best friends forever or something? Fucking pathetic... he won't last a day, let alone forever..._

(Present)

There it was again.

That weird, foreign feeling...

Loneliness...

The same feeling he had felt... when he looked at Kurosaki's twisted body...

 _What the hell is happening to me? How can a man like me... generate such emotions?_

Kizami wondered the halls as that question plagued him mind. He had clearly spent far too much time around his classmates. He was growing attached to them. Had he actually called him and Shimada a team? Had he wished him wellbeing when they parted?

 _No...I only said that because I want to finish him off myself... later... with everyone else..._

 _But he told of a way out..._

 _So we are not doomed to die here... which means that there is a difference if someone is killed by the school..._

 _...or me..._

"Does that mean, what I did was wrong?" Yuuya asked himself. His eyes grew wide as he realized what he had said. "NO! It can't be! Besides, I don't care if it is!" He said, seemingly trying to reassure himself.

 _I showed mercy on Katayama... Naomi..._

 _It was not a wrong thing... I don't even care if it wa-!_

 _Did I say... mercy...?_

 _Did I show mercy on them?_

"Ahhh... What have they done to me...?" He moaned clutching his head in his hands. "Ahhhh... DAMMIT! What the fuck did they do?! Why am I thinking of mercy?! I hate my classmates! They lie right to my face, and hide who they are!"

His head full of swirling emotions, Kizami stormed onward, determined on personally ending the lives of his friends.

Although a little less determined than before...

(Elsewhere)

"Shimada! Yuuya! Emi! Mitsuki!"

No response.

Tohko sighed. It had been ages since she'd been separated from Kai, and she had found nobody, living or dead. The doll given to her by Naho was still in her hands, occasionally muttering an "I'm sorry..." or "I'm a good person..."

"This is looking grim..." Tohko sighed. "But I can't just give up... I've got to appease those spirits somehow..." That thought is what drove her. The duty that had been bestowed upon her. She had to help save everyone.

"I wonder how Shimada's doing... is he trying to find a way to appease them?" She wondered aloud. "Heh... at least if I don't see him again... we wouldn't have parted on a sour note."

She continued soldiering on for awhile, calling out her friends names, checking her surroundings for anything useful. "Is anyone even here?" She sighed as she turned the corner. "It seems like I'm the only one he-" she stopped as she looked in front of her. The doll fell from her hands.

A few minutes ago, she probably would have been wrong.

A girl her age lay dead in front of her. She had blue pigtails, and a tan sailor uniform. Her eyes were wide and bloodshot, and a pool of blood surrounded her head, which had had the back of it smashed apart. Her name tag identified her as Ayumi Shinozaki.

Tohko gasped in horror at the corpse. It wasn't just the horrid injuries that terrified her. It was that the corpse was so fresh, so new that it could get up and walk around. And if she was killed so recently...

The killer could still be around...

Picking up the doll, Tohko edged around the disgusting carcass and continued on her way, evermore cautious.

 _Please everyone... please be alright... I'm begging..._

(Elsewhere)

"Uhhhhh..."

"Wha... where the..."

Kai slowly awoke to a horribly salty taste in his mouth, and a pounding headache. Worst he'd ever felt in fact. From what he could tell, he was laying on a cold, dirt floor. He slowly opened his eyes, which didn't do much better, as the only light source was a weak, small light bulb hanging from the ceiling.

"Fuck... hello... anyone?" He called out. No response. His body stiff, the redhead moved his arms, and tried to push himself up.

 **Hehehe...**

He froze. A look of dread on his face, Kai looked around as best as he could. "Hello?" He called out.

 **HEHEHEHEHEHE...**

The laughter continued as suddenly, three bright blue flames appeared around him. "Huh?! What are...!" Kai gasped. He tried to push himself up faster, but his arms gave out, sending him face fist into the dirty floor.

"Owwww... What the hell is happening?!"

 _STOMP!STOMP!_

"...?!"

"Oi! Who the hell is that?! I could use some help here!"

"..."

"YO! Asshole! I'm laying right he-"

 _WHACK!_

Kai fell silent as the heavy hammer slammed to his skull. "Ooooooorrrrrrr..." His attacker groaned, staring at his prey. The three flames were still there. The laughter had stopped. "Aaaaaaa... aaaaaa..." Groaning, the man grabbed Kai's leg and dragged him I to the dark. The spirits faded away, drifting off to their different closed spaces.

A young girl with black hair and a red dress stepped into the light. She had a slight smirk on her face. "Hehehe... these people are funny..." She giggled. "I hope they're still just as funny when they die..." Grinning, she slid into the darkness, eager to observe those who had caught her eye.

A/N

Surprised a chapter came out this early? Well so am I! I suppose I'm more eager to reach a certain part than I thought. I feel almost like a reader myself sometimes. A reader who's been spoiled but a read nonetheless... I hope this doesn't come across as rushed or anything. I put a lot of thought into all the parts, and try my best to avoid filler chapters.

I'm just so eager to reach the part I've got in mind! Ohhh... I can't wait.

I'm just teasing you guys right? I'll stop.

A/N


	13. CHAPTER 4 (2)

CHAPTER 4 (2)

"So Morishige, who did you come here with?" Emi asked. The two were still walking the dimly lit, seemingly endless halls. Morishige glanced at her, before returning his gaze to the hallway and replying.

"I came with seven friends, my homeroom T.A, and a friend's little sister," he answered in his flat, cold voice. "Is there anyone in particular you're looking for?" Emi asked. Morishige remained silent for several seconds, before replying.

"Yes. A girl, known as Mayu Suzumoto," he answered. A slight smile graced his lips. "She's... like a sister to me. A person who I feel I can truly trust." Emi tilted her head slightly.

"Oh? Soooo... Is she your-"

"No."

"But-!"

"No."

Emi pouted slightly, but said nothing. The two continued walking for awhile in silence, quietly analysing their surroundings. Then, they registered a faint tremor running through the floor.

"Huh?! What's that?" Emi asked, slightly afraid. Morishige stopped walking. "Blast..." he muttered. "An earthquake..."

Suddenly, the floor began go shake violently. It had come out of nowhere, like someone had picked up the entire building and was shaking it up and down. "AHHH!" Emi screamed as she held on to Morishige, who was struggling to stay upright. Holes in the floor were suddenly sprouting up as old ones were patched up. It was as if the whole school was rebuilding itself.

Eventually, the earthquake died down, leaving the two unharmed. Morishige looked down at Emi, who was still huddled up against him, shivering and whimpering. "Urabe. It's over," he said. Slowly, Emi looked up, and, upon noticing her close proximity to Morishige, instantly backed off. "Ahh! S-Sorry..." She apologized, blushing slightly. Morishige nodded, before examining the revamped school.

"An earthquake that massive must have been felt across the entire school..." he mused as he and Emi continued on their way.

(Elsewhere)

"AHH!" Tohko screamed as the floor began to shake. She'd just been walking around, when out of the blue, an earthquake hit. One that could tear down an entire building. The doll slipped from her hand and fell to the floor, Tohko following soon after. She held her head in her hands as she wept, moaning in fear.

 _Oh God... please don't let me die... don't let me die..._

Eventually, the earthquake subsided, but clearly something was wrong with Tohko's hearing. She looked up. The earthquake was over. So why was she still hearing a loud noise?

 _STOMP!STOMP!_

Tohko's blood ran cold as she realized that the noise was coming from behind here, not to mention that the noise sounded like footsteps. Slowly, she stood up, turned around, and out of the darkness, lumbered the same, massive man that had perused her earlier. "No... No..." She whimpered as she backed away. One slight difference in the man's appearance was its nose. It seemed to have collapsed in on itself, which only made it look even more creepy. Eventually, Tohko noticed that it was dragging something in it's hand. It was Kai, seemingly unconscious or worse, being held by the scruff of his neck.

"Huh?! Shimada?!" She gasped in horror. She kept backing up as the zombie-like being silently walked towards her, until her back hit a wall.

 _A dead end!_

The man didn't stop. He kept on walking until he was towering over Tohko, his disgusting aura polluting the air. Tohko crouched on the floor, holding her hand in her arms, tears streaming down her cheeks.

 _Please... please... I don't... I don't want to..._

 _THUMP!_

"Huh?" Tohko said, lifting her head slightly. The zombie had let go of Kai's limp body, which was now lying face down on the floor. The man stared at her for a few seconds, before turning around, and just walked away.

Tohko stared after the man in shock for a few seconds, half expecting it to turn around and attack her. It didn't. It just walked into the darkness and disappeared. When she was certain it wasn't coming back, she turned her attention towards Kai. Rolling him on his front, it was clear that he wasn't in the best shape. His clothes were filthy and crumpled, and his face was littered with painful looking bruises, though they looked too small to be made with a sledge hammer. There was also a dried, faint red tint to his lips, a rather odd feature.

"Hey! Shimada!" She said, shaking him. He didn't respond. For a brief second, she feared the worst, but then noticed the slight rise and fall of his chest, calming her. Tohko sighed. It seemed that she was going to have to wait for him to wake up. She sat down, leaning against the wall, and glanced at Kai for a second, before closing her eyes. Then she opened her eyes and looked at him again.

Was that something sticking out of his pocket? With a furrowed brow, Tohko reached forward and plucked the object from Kai's trouser pocket. It was a small, brown pouch, the bottom half stained a dark red. What intrigued her the most though, was the name scribbled on it.

"Huh? Who's... Tokiko Tsuji?"

(Elsewhere)

"I... think it's over now..." Fukuroi said, standing up and looking around. "Ahh... thank goodness..." Mitsuki sighed, getting up from her crouching position. "Hmmm? Is it me... or does the school look a little different?" Fukuroi asked. "An earthquake that remodels the building. What else did I expect?" Mitsuki groaned. "Well, it doesn't seem to have changed that much," Fukuroi noted. "So. Shall we continue?"

The two continued on their journey, looking for any articles or a cassette player of sorts. Their efforts were unfortunately fruitless. However, eventually, Fukuroi stopped walking. "Huh? What's wrong Fuku-" Mitsuki began, before being hushed by the boy. "Can't you hear that?" He asked. Mitsuki closed her eyes and concentrated, and noticed a quiet sound echoing throughout the halls. It was incredibly faint, but it sounded like... TV static?

"It sounds kinda like a TV with no signal," Mitsuki said. "Perhaps it has a cassette player with it. Come on!" Fukuroi said. They set off in the vague direction of the static, and to their joy, it was clearly becoming louder. Eventually, they came across a red door, marked as the custodians closet. The static was near deafening at this point, and it was clear that what was making it was inside. However, when Fukuroi tried to slid it open, it wouldn't move an inch, as if part of the wall itself.

"Of course, a key. It seemed too easy for a minute..." Fukuroi sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Don't just roll over Fukuroi! The key's probably just lying around someplace, so let's go find it!" Mitsuki yelled. "Okay okay!" Fukuroi said, a slight smile on his face. The two walked off, looking for a key of any type, until Mitsuki broke the silence.

"Hey, Fukuroi?" She said, a sombre look on her face. "What is is?" Fukuroi asked. "Do you think... what that ghost girl said... that the others are..." she mumbled. Fukuroi grimaced as an image of Katayama and Ohkawa's headless corpses flashed in front of his eyes. Before he even knew what he was doing, he grabbed Mitsuki by the shoulders and turned her towards him.

"Huh?! W-What are you..." she began, but trailed off when she looked in his eyes. "Listen Mitsuki... as the student council president, I swear that NOBODY else is going to die!" He vowed, not a trace of hesitation in his voice. "Katayama... Ohkawa... they'd want to see everyone get out... and we're not going to disappoint them!"

Mitsuki stared in surprise at him, before nodding her head vigorously. "Yeah! You're right! We'll find a way outta this hell hole one way or another! Come on!" She yelled as she marched forward. Fukuroi smiled softly before running off to catch up with her.

 _Heh. When she gets motivated, nothing can stop Mitsuki... we'll definitely do this... together we'll find the others and leave this place... nobody else is going to die..._

 _I swear it..._

(Elsewhere)

"AAAAAAHHHHH!"

"Huh?!" Kizami said. The echoing scream ran up and down the halls. It was female, and either in great terror or great pain. "Hey! Is anyone there?!" Yuuya yelled back. His only response was more screams. He hesitated, before setting off in the direction that seemed to be coming from.

After several minutes, he arrived in front of the room the screams had been emitting from. By now they were just whimper and sobs. Kizami hesitated, before sliding open the door and heading in.

The room appeared to be some kind of cook room, with old, rusted ovens and stoves, and open cupboards with food boxes that seemed to have been bought decades ago. What drew Yuuya's attention the most though, was what was in the middle of the room.

It was a girl, tied in the middle of the room to a chair with rope. She was wearing a uniform that was incrusted with dirt and blood, yet even so there was something... familiar about it.

 _Strange... perhaps I saw it on a corpse perhaps?_

Then he looked at her head, and the confusion about her uniform completely disappeared from his mind.

At first, Yuuya thought that her head was missing, however, he then noticed that she did still have her head. The skin, if one could call it that anyone, had been burned black to the point where it faded into the dim lighting. Her hair was completely gone, leaving just a round, black head. Her mouth was opened wide, her tongue, which wasn't much brighter, was hanging out.

"Ahhhh... Aaaaaah..." she moaned, as Kizami stared at her in abject horror. He slowly took a step towards her, the creek echoing throughout the room. The moaning stopped as the girl heard his footsteps, and her tongue slowly slid back into her mouth.

"Plea... Please..." she groaned. "Kil.. kill... m... me..." she begged. Yuuya's eyes widened as he took in her shaking figure, her grievous injuries...

 _What is this... she's broken... pathetic... is this even human...?_

"Please..." she whimpered, pained sobs raising from her scorched throat. Yuuya's breathing became heavily, his pupils smaller, his hands shaking slightly. "Just... kill me..." The girl insisted.

"Ahhh..." Kizami groaned, clutching his head. "Please..." The girl repeated. "Please..." she was sobbing, tears would be coming out of her eyes had they not been sealed shut.

"Grk... Ghh..." Yuuya sputtered. He ground his teeth together in frustration.

 _What the hell is this... What the fuck is this..._

"Please! Someone! Kill-"

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!"

With an animalistic scream, Kizami leaped forward, lifted his leg, and slammed his foot into the girl's head. It flew from her shoulders and flew into the wall with a dull crack. Yuuya stood there, panting heavily. He stared at the headless body for a few seconds, before turning towards the open door.

"What the hell... What the hell was that..." He muttered, his eyes wide as he left the room, desperately trying to comprehend the strange feeling he felt when gazing upon that mutilated, pitiful human being.

A/N

"Uh oh! Looks like this place is getting to Kizami! What on earth could this led to?!"

 _Seriously... who are you?_

"I'm the ANNOUNCER!"

 _Well can you piss off for now? You're spoiling the mood._

"NEVER! I AM THE-

*massive whale falls from the sky and crushes announcer*

A helpful hint. Never piss off the writer. Anyways, Tohko and Kai have reunited, Mitsuki and Fukuroi have a clear goal, Emi and Morishige are currently wandering aimlessly, and Yuuya is slowly being driven insane. I'd say things look good.

Goodbye!

A/N


	14. CHAPTER 4 (3)

CHAPTER 4 (3)

"Uhhhh... what..."

Tohko's attention shifted from the small pouch in her hand to the slowly awakening form next to her. "Shit... what did..." Kai groaned as he pushed himself up and opened his eyes. "Shimada? Are you alright?!" Tohko asked, standing up fully. As soon as he heard her voice, Kai's eyes lit up. He jumped to his feet, startling Tohko, who stepped back slightly. "H-Hey! Watch it!"

The redhead barely paid attention, and turned towards her, a massive grin on his face. "Kirisaki! You're alright!" He said, a shockingly genuine smile on his face. He stepped forward, his arms raised, then suddenly seemed to remember who he was.

"That's... great..." he mumbled, stepping back. His left hand snaked into his pocket, while his other hung at his side. His smile was now gone, replaced with a scowl, his gaze now focused on the wall next to him. His cheeks... were slightly red, almost as if he was blushing. Tohko raised an eyebrow.

"You alright?" She asked. "Huh? Oh yeah! I'm good! Of course!" Kai replied, a little too fast. "You sure? That zombie guy from earlier dragged you here!" Tohko said. Kai blinked, as if he knew he was supposed to know this, but didn't. Tohko sighed. "I found this on you. What is it?" She asked, holding the bloody bag out to him, which he took and looked at.

For a few seconds, he just stared at it blankly, his look indicating he had no idea what the thing was. Suddenly, his eyes widened dramatically, and a far off look came into his eye. Memories flooded into his mind.

Fighting Kizami... almost getting killed by him...

Teaming up with Kizami and beating the large man...

Stumbling through the halls of the school...

Drinking blood, and running through the school in a panic...

Opening a door...

Finding Kurosaki's cor-

"AAAHHHHHHHHH!" Kai screamed, as he dropped the pouch and clutched his head with his hands. "W-What's wrong?!" Tohko asked, startled by the sudden outburst. Kai didn't reply. Instead, he let go of his head, and sank to his knees, staring at the pouch. He had a sombre look on his face, his eyes seemed to be welling up. "What's wrong?!" Tohko asked again, getting to her knees and shaking him. Kai looked at her for a few seconds, before finally replying in a soft, quiet voice.

"Kurosaki is dead."

Tohko's eyes widened. Kai just stared sadly back at her. The two didn't say a word for several seconds, until Tohko broke the silence. "What...?" She asked, her voice suddenly strained. "I saw his body..." Kai said. "It was pinned to the wall... he was opened up... all kinds of fucked up shit..." Tohko just stared at him in disbelief. "No... that's... that's not true..." she whispered, more to herself than Kai. The redhead didn't say anything. He just returned his cold gaze to the small pouch on the floor.

Tohko's eyes began to well up. She hid her face in her hands as she sobbed silently, as Kai's hands curled into fists, as the two remembered their upbeat, energetic friend, and pondered who someone like him could end up dead.

(Elsewhere)

"Perhaps something useful is in here," Fukuroi murmured as he slid open the door and he and Mitsuki walked in. This room was, at first glance, no different to the vast majority of the school. However, the two quickly noticed that the room was significantly larger than most. Not only that, but there was a massive rip in the floor, separating the room into two smaller ones. "Did this happen in the earthquake?" Mitsuki asked. "Maybe. Come on, let's see what's to offer," Fukuroi replied.

The two separated and searched the side of the room they were on. Unfortunately, it seemed that they were to be disappointed once more. Nothing more than a few corpses and scattered name tags. Eventually though, Mitsuki looked over to the other side of the gap, and noticed something gleaming just off the edge. "Hey! Fukuroi! I found something!" She yelled. Fukuroi looked up from the body he was inspecting, and joined Mitsuki at the edge.

"What is that?" He asked, gazing curiously at the small, glowing object. "I'm not sure, but it might be useful," Mitsuki said. Fukuroi thought about it for a few seconds. "But how are we going to get across?" He pondered. "Well, what about that door over there?" Mitsuki said, pointing across to the far left corner of the other side. Fukuroi squinted, and sure enough, he could make out the edges of a door.

"Ahh! Excellent! Let's go!" He said, as the two left the room, and continued up the hall until they came across the door. Upon opening it, they were greeted by the same room, except they were on the other side. They walked over to the edge of the gap, and looked for the shining object. "Hmmm? Wasn't it around here somewhere?" Mitsuki asked. "Huh?! There it is!" Fukuroi yelled. He was looking at the side they had just come from. The glowing item was sitting there, like it had always been there.

"Ehh?! B-But...!" Mitsuki stammered. "Strange... I could have sworn it was over here..." Fukuroi muttered, his brow furrowed. The two walked out of the room, walked back down the hall, and opened the door to the other side. They walked to the edge, and to their confusion, the item was in it's original spot, where they had just come from.

"Is it.. moving itself...?" Mitsuki hesitantly asked. "This place is starting to seem more and more like some freaky nightmare..." Fukuroi groaned, rubbing his eyes. "If it keeps jumping back and forth, how do we get it?" Mitsuki asked. The two remained in silence for several seconds, before Fukuroi spoke up.

"What if one of us stays here, and the other goes to the other side?" The bespectacled boy suggested. Mitsuki gasped. "Then no matter what side it goes to, one of us can get it! Nice thinking Fukuroi!" Fukuroi pushed up his glasses, and allowed a smile to form on his face. However, it disappeared as quickly as it came once he thought for a few more seconds.

"But... should we separate?" He asked. "Hmmm? What do you mean?" Mitsuki asked, tilting her head slightly. "Should we separate... in a place like this?" Fukuroi said, looking Mitsuki in the eye. A silence descended upon them, as they each mentally ran through the pros and cons of separating. Finally, Mitsuki spoke up.

"Go on. I'll wait here. You go to the other side," she said. "Huh?! A-Are you sure Mitsuki?" Fukuroi asked. "Don't worry Mr. President! I'll be waiting right here! Now hurry along!" Mitsuki said with a smile. Fukuroi hesitated, before sighing. "Are you sure you will be alright?" He asked. "Of course!" Mitsuki insisted. Fukuroi stayed where he was for a few seconds, before nodding, and silently walking over to the door. He slid it open, and looked back. Mitsuki gave him a thumbs up, and he stepped out, closing the door behind him.

Fukuroi stood by himself in the dim, cold hallway. Suddenly, now that he was alone, the school all of a sudden seemed much darker. Much quieter. Much more unsettling. Doing his best to shrug off his unease, he walked silently down the hall, quickly reaching the door leading to the other side. He put his hand on the handle, then hesitated. Thoughts ran through his head, all depicting awful scenes. Mitsuki not there, Mitsuki falling down the gap screaming, Mitsuki being attacked by someone, Mitsuki lying on the floor... dead...

 _NO! Stop with these paranoid thoughts! Mitsuki's... fine... she wouldn't let anything happen to her!_

Thinking those words, Fukuroi slid open the door, and stepped into the room. "Mitsuki!" He called out. "Over here Fukuroi!" Mitsuki replied. Fukuroi let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, and walked over to the edge. The small glowing item was on his side, but as he approached it, it faded from view, and appeared on the other side. "Mitsuki! Now!" Fukuroi yelled. Mitsuki nodded, dived forward, and grabbed the object before it could disappear again. "Got it!" She said, smiling as she stood up, holding her prize in the air. "Yes..." Fukuroi sighed, a smile on his face. "Come on! Let's meet in the hall!" He said, as he and Mitsuki ran for their respective doors, left the room, and ran down and up the hall until they bumped into each other.

"Nice work Mitsuki! Now... what is this item that's caused so much hassle?" Fukuroi asked. Mitsuki opened her hand, and in it was a small red key with a label on it. "Custodians... closet?! Yes!" Fukuroi yelled. "Come on! Let's get to that place, and maybe finally watch that tape!" Mitsuki said, a determined grin on her face. Fukuroi nodded, and the two dashed towards the custodians closet. Despite everything, it seemed that things were looking up...

(Elsewhere)

"Wh... who's... Tokiko?" Tohko managed to get out. She and Kai were still kneeling on the floor, the brown pouch between them. Tohko's eyes were red, and tear tracks were still visible on her cheeks. Kai looked up at her. "Tokiko? Never heard of anyone called that," he replied. "That's the name on the pouch," Tohko said, pointing at it. Kai looked at the bag, as if suddenly remembering it was there, before picking it up and standing up.

"I don't know. I found in a hole," he said as Tohko stood up and peered at it as well. "Is there something in it?" She asked. Kai shrugged in response, before carefully opening the bag and peering in. Almost instantly, the colour drained from his face, and his body suddenly stiffened. "What's wrong? What's in it?" Tohko asked. Kai didn't reply, just held out the bag so she could take a look. Tohko looked inside. "What is- AHHH!"

There wasn't much lighting, but there is no doubt that what was in that bag... was a human tongue. It clearly had been there for a long time, as it had dried and crusted over. Tohko stepped back, her face white. "W-W-Wh... what's that!?" She screamed. Kai didn't say anything. He just let a single, visible shudder run through him, before letting his arm drop to his side. "Hell if I know why this is here..." he said through clenched teeth. "But... I don't know... maybe it has something to do with appea-"

 **"Agggggggg... gggguuuuuuuu..."**

"Huh?!" Kai gasped. "What was that?!" Tohko asked, looking around frantically. "It sounds kinda like a little girl... choking or something..." Kai said.

 **"Aaaaahhhhhrrrrrrrrr... guuuuuuuullllll..."**

The two slowly turned towards the corridor leading out of the dead end they were currently in. The odd gurgling noises only increased, as a soft, light blue glow emerged from around the corner. Kai and Tohko stiffened, as a small, glowing figure rounded the corner, and turned in their direction.

It was, predictably, a female ghost. However, this one gave off a much more unsettling presence than the ordinary ones. She had almost exactly the same feeling about her as the ghost boy from earlier. However, this was far from her most notable feature. Her head had been completely severed from the jaw up. Only her lower jaw remained, although as faint, ghostly replacement head was visible. Despite the fact that she had no eyes, the two could still feel her gaze stop at them, penetrating through their souls.

 **"Uuuuuuuuuuuu... aaaaaaaaaa..."** she gurgled and groaned as she began slowly walking towards the two. "Oh shit..." Kai muttered. "What do we do?!" Tohko screamed, her eyes wide with panic. "Fuck! Why do we have to be in a dead end!" Kai yelled. The headless ghost didn't stop, just kept shuffling towards them. Kai looked around, desperately looking for a way out of his situation. Suddenly, he remembered the pouch, which was still in his hand. He looked closely at the girl. Despite the fact that she had retained her lower jaw, she was missing her tongue...

"Tokiko... Tsuji?" He asked hesitantly. Instantly, the girl turned her head (or what was left of it) towards Kai, all of her attention now focused on him. Sudden panic gasped Kai as Tokiko began walking towards him exclusively. "Kirisaki..." he said quietly, his eyes wide with terror. "Run..." Tohko turned towards him, a shocked expression on her face. "What?! What are you-!"

"Just go! Get behind her!" Kai yelled. Tohko jumped back, surprised by the outburst. Hesitantly, she edged around the advancing spirit. Tokiko didn't even glance at her. She just carried on walking towards Kai, getting a little too close to his liking. Kai backed up until his back was pressed up against the wall. Tokiko carried on walking. Kai's breathing became heavier as the ghost came close and closer. Sweat rolled down his forehead as he began shaking slightly. Finally, when she was only a few feet from him, he tossed the pouch out in front of him lightly. It landed on the floor directly at Tokiko's feet, and the small, dried tongue rolled out. The ghost immediately focused all her attention towards the tongue. For what felt like hours, nobody moved; Tokiko stared at the tongue lying on the floor, Kai remained pressed up against the wall, his heart pounding against his ribcage, and Tohko, watching in terror at the scene.

Finally, the spirit reached down, picked up the tongue, and slid it into the space her mouth would have been. All the malevolence and anger she had radiated had suddenly disappeared.

 **"Thank you..."**

She quietly thanked the cowering boy before her, despite the fact that she should be physically incapable of doing so. Then, a pure, white light opened up above her. There was a blinding flash. The light died down...

And Tokiko Tsuji was gone.

"Ahhh..." Kai groaned as he sank to his knees, his gaze cast towards the floor. Tohko dashed forward and crouched in front of him, holding his shoulders. "Shimada? You... alright?" She asked. For a few seconds, Kai didn't look up, and she began to panic again. However, eventually he lifted his head up and looked Tohko in the eye, revealing a half cocky, half exhausted smirk. "With a view like you, who wouldn't be?" Tohko rolled her eyes.

 _Even tired beyond belief, he still manages to try and flirt..._

"Well, I have to say that was interesting."

The two turned their heads to the right to see Naho, nonchalantly leaning against the wall, giving them a small, cold grin.

"Let's chat for a bit, shall we?"

A/N

One down. Three to go. Shall they appease them all? Only time, and my sick sense of humour will reveal...

A/N


	15. CHAPTER 4 (4)

CHAPTER 4 (4)

"That certainly was an interesting method..." Naho mused as she looked at the spot where Tokiko had once stood. The two Byakudan students just stared at her in shock, until Kai stood up. And it was clear that he was pissed.

"You fucking liar..." he said, grinding his teeth, his previous fatigue suddenly gone. "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Naho asked. She seemed genuinely confused. "Don't act like you don't know!" Kai yelled, storming over to Naho until he was only a few inches from her, and glared down at her. "You told us we had get the killer to feel sorry. We didn't do anything with this mur-!"

Suddenly, out of the blue, the floor began to shake wildly. "W-WHAT THE HELL!?" Kai yelled as he toppled over and fell on his backside. "AAAAHHHH! Tohko screamed as she held her head in her hands. Naho... Naho merely looked around with a bored expression, tapping her feet. Eventually, the earthquake subsided, and Naho spoke up.

"I am not a liar," Naho sighed,. "I merely had no knowledge of this method of appeasement," she finished, before walking past the shocked redhead, and walking over to Tohko, who was standing up. "Here. You dropped this," she said, pulling the cursed doll literally out of nowhere. "O-Oh! Thank you, Naho..." Tohko said, accepting the "gift."

"Tch. How the hell is that gonna help us?" Kai sneered, getting to his feet and shoving his hands in his pockets. "The killer... Yoshikazu Yanagihori... the man who pursued you earlier... his thoughts are echoed through this doll. His thoughts will lead you to the severed tongues of his victims," Naho explained. "Return the remaining three tongues to their respective owners, and they will be appeased."

"Oh! I almost forgot," Naho said, before reaching into her skirt pocket and pulling out a small object. "Here," she said, tossing it towards Kai, who scrambled to catch it. "Try checking out class 1-A." With that, Naho just, faded from view without another word. "Huh?! Wait!" Tohko called. Naho was already gone. Kai looked down at the object in his hand. It was an old fashioned windup key.

The remaining two stayed silent, before Kai let out a huff. "I really don't trust that bitch..." he sighed, shoving the key in his pocket. "Don't be so rude!" Tohko scolded. "Besides, it's the only lead we've got." Kai let out a load groan, before walking up to Tohko. "Fine. Let's get this done with," he said. Tohko nodded. "So... classroom 1-A was it?" She asked.

"Yeah, I think," Kai replied. "What could that specific room have?" Tohko wondered aloud. "Fuck if I know and fuck if I care. All I care about is if it lets us get out," Kai said as he began walking off. "H-Hey! Wait!" Tohko yelled as she hurried after him.

(Later)

Kai slid open the door to classroom 1-A and peered in. At first glance, it seemed like any other room in the school. However, as his eyes adjusted, he noticed that the room was not only rather thin, but EXTREMELY long. The other end was shrouded in darkness hiding it from sight. "Pretty weird classroom," Kai said as he walked in, followed by Tohko. "Nothing too special seems to be here," she noted, looking around. "What's at the other end?" She asked. "Let's go find out huh?" Kai replied as he walked into the darkness ahead, Tohko close behind. The left side of the floor seemed to have collapsed, so they stuck to the right side. Eventually, the end of the room came into sight, revealing a purple object on a small table.

It was definitely the weirdest thing they had come across yet. It vaguely resembled a kind of lever, twisted and warped in such a strange way, like someone was blind when they made it. A large wheel sat on top of it, as if it had been slammed on last second. "What the hell..." Kai muttered as he looked the strange mechanism up and down. "Shimada! Look! A hole!" Tohko said, pointing to a hole about the size of a fingernail. Kai frowned at it for a few seconds, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out the wind up key given to him by Naho.

"Maybe..." he slid it in. A perfect fit. Smirking, he turned the key around for several seconds, then let go and stood back. As the key unwound, the large wheel on top began rotating as well. Then, a sudden grinding sound abruptly tore through the air. All this lasted until the key stopped rotating.

"Looks like that did something," Kai said. "Come on! Let's see if anything changed outside," Tohko said. Upon walking towards the door and sliding open, the two were surprised to see that the wall opposite them had completely disappeared, exposing what appeared to be another room. They stared at it for a few seconds in silence before Kai spoke up. "This is going to be interesting..." he said as he walked into the new room, a grin on his face. "Huh?! Wait! Don't just... Uhh!" Tohko groaned as she followed him.

They entered what appeared to be a shower room. Several benches sat in rows next to a dozen or two lockers. About six showers lined the wall, all rusted beyond the point of functionality. The whole room stank of damp wood and rotten flesh. On the other side of the room was a door. One interesting thing was that a strange noise resonated throughout the room. It sounded like someone throwing small rocks against a sheet of metal. "Hmmm? This place has a shower?" Kai mused, looking over the decaying lockers. "Of course. Every school should have one. Standard regulation," Tohko said, inspecting one of the showers. She tried turning one of the valves, but it was completely jammed.

"Welllllllll... I'm gonna go check out that room," Kai said, walking over to the door and sliding it open and walking out. "Wait!" Tohko said as she rushed after him. It was then that she realized that the door did not lead to another room. Rather, they found themselves outside. A long grey staircase lead up to the roof. Raindrops fell like miniature bombs around and on them, instantly drenching them. "Awww come on! This better not do anything to my hair..." Kai muttered, his fringe and clothes sticking to him. He turned towards Tohko. "Hey Kirisaki. You al-"

Kai trailed off as he took in Tohko's appearance... most specifically her shirt. "Tch. Seriously?" Tohko groaned as she tugged on her shirt, trying to separate it from her chest, seemingly unaware that said chest was now partially visible to the world. "What is it Shimada?" She said as she looked at him, confused when she saw his bright red face and sly grin. Then she followed his line of sight. "What are you... AHHHH!" She screamed, covering her chest and turning red herself. "Y-Y-You... PERVERT!" She yelled at him. The redhead's grin only grew wider. "Come on Kirisaki..." he said, walking over to her and wrapping his arms around her. He felt Tohko stiffen, and smirked as he put his mouth right next to her ear and whisper ever so softly:

 _"If they're cold... I could warm them up for you if you want..."_

Tohko's blush increased tenfold, and she turned around to face him. "S-Stay away! Pervert! Hentai!" She screamed, swatting her arms at him. Kai merely jumped back, laughing. "Ahahaha! Cool it cool it!" He said. "I'm just kidding around!" He assured, unfazed by Tohko's death stare. "Alright... let's go check out this roof." With that, he began walking up the long flight of stairs. Tohko waited until he was ten steps away, and then hesitantly followed him, still glaring.

Upon reaching the roof, Kai was surprised to see that there was a massive pool in the centre. A large spigot with a valve on it sat in the top right corner, and the entire roof was surrounded with a wire fence. "Didn't know this joint had a pool," Kai muttered as he walked up to the edge and peered in.

The pool was in a complete mess. The water (if it could be called that) was a dark, sick green. It looked more like vomit if anything. Several shadowy lumps could be seen jutting out of pool, but it was too dark to be able to figure out what they were, something Kai was actually thankful for.

"I doubt a pool would be in perfect condition after all these years..." Tohko said, now standing behind Kai, who was surveying the area before seemingly noticing something to his left. "Hmm?" He muttered as he began walking towards whatever had caught his sight. Eventually he stopped and looked down. "What you staring at?" Tohko asked, joining his side.

A massive chunk floor in front of them seemed to have been lifted out and thrown away. It just abruptly cut off, and then started again several feet from the side the two were on. "Tch. Looks like we're going the long way..." Kai said, turning around and walking in the opposite direction. Tohko stayed where she was for a few seconds, looking into the massive gap, because following the redhead.

After walking around the pool in the other direction, they came to the other side of the gap. Next to them was a second set of staircase, leading down to another door. On it was a sign. "Pump room?" Kai read as he walked down to it, Tohko behind him. He grabbed hold of the lock and twisted it. Nothing happened. He grabbed it with both hands and twisted, pushing and pulling as well. Nothing happened. "Locked..." he grumbled, turning towards his companion. "Looks like we need a ke-"

He trailed off once he noticed Tohko holding a small silver key in her hand, an look that screamed, "right here you ass," on her face. "It was on the floor," she said. "Oh. Uhh... thanks..." Kai mumbled as he took the key and slotted it into the lock. Pushing the door open, he was surprised to see total darkness. From the light seeping in from the outside, it seemed to be a pump room, but once the light stopped, only vague shapes could be seen. "Looks like we're feeling our way through this time," Tohko sighed, walking into the room. "Oh don't worry! I'm good at feeling things up..." Kai said, following her with a smirk. The two began feeling their way around the dark room, until both their hands brushed something at the same time.

"Found something!"

"..."

"You first!" Tohko yelled. "It's uhh... an empty slot I think. Small. Maybe for a valve or something?" Kai replied. "I found a valve, and it seems like I can turn it. Should I?" She asked. There was silence, before Kai replied. "Sure! Maybe it has something to do with the pool," the redhead suggested. Tohko struggled at first, but managed to turn the valve in a clockwise motion. A loud gurgling sounds echoed throughout the room, like water washing down rusty pipes. "Hmm? What was that?" Tohko asked. "Let's find out!" Kai said with a grin.

Upon returning to the pool, the two were surprised to see that the entire pool had been drained of its slimy water. The floor, likely once a brilliant white, was now a dark, filthy grey, stained green in some places. Several corpse could be spotted, randomly scattered about. In the centre of the pool was a large drain covered by a grid, though half of it was missing.

"Well well. Nice one Kirisaki..." Kai said as he jumped in. "Eh!? You're just walking around in that pool?!" Tohko gasped, looking at the horrid state of the surface. "I don't see a ten foot pole to poke around. Do you?" Kai said, not looking back as he walked around, inspecting his surroundings. Tohko sighed, before hesitantly hopping in and following him. Upon reaching the drain, Kai crouched and peered in. There, imist the filth and dead bodies, was a small, shining object. Grimacing, Kai reached in an picked it up, doing his best not to touch anything else. "What are you doing?" Tohko asked, walking up behind him. Kai turned around, a rusty valve in his hand. "Something good. Let's get back to the pump room," he said.

Once again entering the pump room, Kai walked over to the area he remembered he felt the empty valve hole. Finding it, he grinned, and slammed the valve in. "Hey! Don't just shove it in!" Tohko said. Ignoring her, the redhead turned the valve as far as it would go. There was a short gurgling sound... and then nothing. "Hmm... back up!" Kai declared, storming out. "All this walking up and down is getting boring... I can't even imagine how the readers are feeling..." Tohko grumbled as she followed.

The two reached the pool, but saw no noticeable change. "I don't see anything different," Kai noted as he looked around. Tohko glanced over at the large spigot, and noticed that there was now a puddle with a small object in the middle. "Shimada! There's something over there!" She said, pointing at the spigot. Kai followed her finger, and, noticing the puddle, leapt back in the pool and dashed towards it. "Ehh?! Wait!" Tohko yelled as she jumped in and ran after him. By the time she reached him, he was already squatting in front of the puddle. "Well?" She asked.

Kai stood up and turned to face her. Grinning, he held out his hand, and there, dangling from his fingers, was the second tongue bag. "Our deus ex machina..." he said, smirking widely. Tohko sighed in relief, and the two climbed out of the pool before examining the pouch. Other than being slightly damp, it was identical the previous one. The only major difference was the name scribbled on the bag:

 _ **Ryou Yoshizawa**_

"Ahaha! It must be that boy ghost from earlier!" Kai yelled, a vicious grin on his face. "That son of a bitch is next..." With that, he sped off down the stairs back to the school. "Huh?! H-Hey! Wait!" Tohko yelled as she sprinted after him.

(Later)

Kizami pushed open slowly pushed open the door, and was mildly surprised to find himself outdoors. All around him, heavy rain fell, instantly drenching him and turning his shirt see-through, exposing his skin and even his belt. Leaning one hand against the metal wall next to the door, Yuuya looked up at the stormy sky.

 _Hmm... it seems that there is a way to access this world's version of outside..._

Taking the opportunity to rest, Yuuya rest his back against the cold wall, and slid down until he was sitting down, before thinking of the recent events.

 _I can't have been here more than several hours... and yet... so much has happened..._

 _How is it that this place has changed me in such a way? I don't..._

 _I don't know what to believe in anymore..._

 _I don't know... who I am anymore..._

As he thought those words, he tilted his head up, his bangs falling in front of his eyes and sticking to his forehead as he gazed up at the sky. "What is happening to me? How is any of this real?" He asked himself in a quiet, soft voice. He stared at the dark sky for a few more seconds, before sighing and standing up.

"There isn't anything wrong. There is no way out. It doesn't matter who kills a person," he said, trying to reassure himself. But now those words felt strange in Kizami's mouth. Something was telling him... that he shouldn't be saying such things.

"Ahhh... damn it..." he muttered, before slowly turning towards the metal wall. He glared at it for several seconds, before his lips curled back in a dark, savage snarl, and he threw his fist with everything he had at the wall. A dull, loud bang echoed throughout the area. "AAAAHHHHHHHHH! FUCK IT!" He screamed back that the sky, as if he were cursing God himself for not giving him an answer. "WHY?! WHY THE FUCK IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME?!" He yelled and cursed as he threw open the door. "There is nothing wrong... THERE IS NOTHING FUCKING WRONG!" He screamed as he stumbled through the doorway and back into the dark depths of the school, his wails and screams echoing all throughout the silent nirvana...

A/N

You know maybe I should change the rating to M...

Sorry for the long wait, but finally it's here. I hope to update more frequently in the future. Until then, let this scene demonstrating Yuuya's slowly rotting mental health sink into your minds. I really do put the poor guy through a lot don't I...

P.S. I am aware of the fact that I mixed up the first two spirits. Shoot me.

A/N


	16. CHAPTER 4 (5)

CHAPTER 4 (5)

"YO! RYOU!" Kai practically screamed, his voice echoing throughout the building. "Oi Shimada! Keep your voice down!" Tohko yelled, certainly not keeping her's down. "I thought we was looking for the little brat. Best let him know we're here," Kai replied, spinning around to face his companion. "And do you actually some kind of plan?" Tohko asked, crossing her arms. "Yeah! Chuck his tongue at him and let him keep it!" The redhead answered, a confident smirk on his face. Tohko sighed. "You're so cocky sometimes..."

"Well, I'm sure an Adonis can be pardoned for boasting a bit," Kai said, winking as he did. "A what?" Tohko asked. "An Adonis! You know! The great Greek hero! So devilish and good-looking that Persephone and Aphrodite themselves fought over who could keep him," Kai answered as he turned around and continued walking, leaving Tohko slightly baffled.

Byakudan Senior High houses many intelligent, keen students. Kai Shimada was not one of those. His grades ranged from "average", to "barely passable". However, one subject he somehow managed to not only pass, but EXCEL in, was history. Particularly Greek mythology. His knowledge not only put students like Fukuroi to shame, but seemed to surpass that of even the teachers. It infuriated other students to see him come in to a test, scruffy, casual, and in no way prepared, and pass with straight A's.

"Hey! Kirisaki! You coming!" Kai yelled, now a little ways ahead. "Huh? Oh, yeah!" Tohko said, catching up to him. The two walked side by side for few seconds in silence before Kai spoke up again. "Alright... let's try this again," he said, before taking a deep breath and cupping his hands around his mouth.

"HEY! RY-!"

 **"...under the boards..."**

"Ehh? What was that?" Kai asked. "It's the doll!" Tohko exclaimed, holding out the doll and looking at it. Sure enough, the doll continued it's soft rambles.

 **"...under the boards..."**

 **"... the floor above..."**

 **"...deep in the bloody entrails..."**

 **"...DIG IT OUT..."**

"Ehh?! The hell is it sprouting?" Kai asked. "I guess it means that the next tongue is on the next floor," Tohko said. Kai scratched his head. "Yeah, but what did it mean by bloody en-"

Suddenly, Kai's eyes widened as his gaze drifted over Tohko's shoulder. His hand fell as his jaw dropped slightly, his face deathly pale, making his hair stand out even more. "Huh? What's up with you?" Tohko asked. In response, Kai lifted his hand and pointed behind her. Tohko hesitantly turned, and when she saw what he was pointing at, her blood froze.

A young girl, no older than seven or eight, was standing front of them. Her skin held no colour, almost like a corpse, and she was wearing a long, crimson, ripped dress. Her blank face was partly obscured by long, smooth black hair. There was no doubt. She was one of the child spirits.

But there was something different about her. The hatred, the raw anger she seemed to emit was on a whole other level. The two could feel her cold gaze slice through their souls.

For a few seconds, nobody moved a muscle. Then, the girl in the red dress turned around, and walked around the corner without a word. The remaining two stayed still for several seconds, before Tohko spoke in a soft, shaky voice. "Wha... what was... that...?" She asked. She looked up at Kai. His expression no longer reflected one of terror, but instead, one of... curiosity?

"I think she wants us to follow her..." he said softly, as he began walking in the direction of the ghost. "Ehh?! H-How do you know?!" Tohko demanded. Kai didn't listen, and carried on walking, almost as if he was in a trance. Tohko stayed where she was for a few seconds, before sighing and jogging after him.

The two followed the girl in the red dress for what seemed like several hours, but in reality was no more than five minutes. Eventually, she climbed up a spiralling stairwell, and reached the next floor. Soon after, she stopped. Kai, who had been following her in a daze-like state, came to a halt, blinking rapidly, as if he'd just woken up. Tohko, who had been walking behind him, slammed into the redhead's back. "Oww! Why did you stop?" She asked. "Because she stopped," Kai said.

The ghost was just standing there. She didn't turn to face them. She didn't say anything. She didn't even move. She just stood there. Then, she very slowly began to fade from view. It was only then, just as she was about to disappear, that she turned her head towards the two behind her, who just managed to catch a glimpse of her soulless, black eyes, before she completely disappeared.

The two stayed where they were for several seconds, before Kai walked towards the spot where the girl had stood. A few feet away, lying on the floor like it had always been there, was the third tongue bag. Kai picked it up, and turned towards Tohko, a slightly unnerving smirk on his lips, as he dangled the pouch in front of his face.

"What did I tell you? I'm a dammed Adonis..."

(Elsewhere)

 _Click!_

Fukuroi hesitated, before sliding open the now unlocked door to the custodians closet. He slowly entered, Mitsuki right behind him, and looked around. Compared to the rest of the school, it was actually in "decent" conditions. There was a dusty futon mattress lying on the floor, and a large double door wardrobe that looked big enough to walk in. However, the most notable figure of the room was the small red television that sat on the small brown box in the corner. The sound of static was almost overpowering now, and the screen was completely filled with it. A cassette player sat on top, a black wire connecting the two.

"Look! A cassette tape!" Mitsuki exclaimed, rushing over to it. "Finally!" Fukuroi sighed as he made his way to her side. "You still have the tape on you, right?" He asked. Mitsuki nodded, and pulled the tape from her skirt pocket. She hesitated, before pushing the tape in the slot slowly and carefully.

Nothing happened.

She pressed "play".

Nothing happened.

She pressed "play" again.

Nothing happened.

She paused, then pressed "eject".

Nothing happened.

"Ehh?! What the heck..." she grumbled. Fukuroi sighed in disappointment, and rubbed his forehead. He then glanced at the futon, and noticed something. "Mitsuki," he said. "Yeah?" Mitsuki asked, who was considering the pros and cons of throwing the cassette player across the room. "What is it?"

"Was that newspaper always there?"

Mitsuki's brow furrowed, and she turned around to look at the same spot as Fukuroi. Lying on the futon, was a old, yellowed newspaper. "Huh?" She said, walking over to it. "Ehh! Wait! What if it's a trap?!" Fukuroi warned. "Huh? What?" Mitsuki asked, the paper now in her hands. "Just... Nothing..." Fukuroi sighed again, as he walked over to her side, and looked at the newspaper.

 _ **Strange But True: Stories of the Occult] 2**_

 _ **Chasing Down the Hidden Past of the Cursed School Building**_

 _ **Followup by Kou Kibiki**_

"Ahh! Another article by Kibiki!" Fukuroi said, pulling the newspaper closer to him. "Well? What are we waiting for? Stop hogging the paper and let's check it out!" Mitsuki replied, holding it between the two as they began to read.

 _ **Let's talk a bit more about Yoshikazu Yanagihori, beloved son of Heavenly Host Elementary's Principal Takamine Yanagihori. The man was a born instructor, pure and simple. He took up the mantle as soon as he could, and performed his duties with peerless panache. But then the illness struck, and little by little, his winning personality gave way to pure instinct. He was slowly losing all sense of identity. Although the cause of this illness was unknown, its effects were anything but. Simply put, the good teacher had begun reverting to a childlike state. He began carrying an antique doll with him at all times - a memento from a long-forgotten festival, perhaps, given to him by his late mother. His behavior during class degraded quickly. More often than not, his lectures would cease before the period's end, and he'd begin wailing mournfully. Finally, several months prior to the kidnapping and murder incident, Yoshikazu reached a point where he could no longer communicate his thoughts. Although he could still understand others, he became virtually incapable of forming words without intense focus. Given all the evidence mounted against him, Yoshikazu Yanagihori was arrested on multiple counts of kidnapping, murder and desecration of the dead. But due to his mental condition, he was never able to confess his involvement in these crimes, nor even properly discuss them with authorities.**_

 _ **Everything hinged on the testimony of the sole survivor: one Sachiko Shinozaki, age 7. In search of the truth behind the less scientific afflictions this incident spurned, I of course chose to follow the trail of this mysterious little girl. Those who have seen the infamous newspaper photos accompanying this story may remember Sachiko best as the girl with the strikingly unusual red dress. It's hard not to feel sympathy for someone so young forced to watch other children her age being tortured and killed, one by one. And certainly, if I were to find Ms. Shinozaki and secure an interview, there would be some real moral concerns about digging up such painful memories... ...but then again, she's been a full-grown and (hopefully) well-adjusted adult for over ten years at this point. By now, she should be able to look back upon these horrific events with some objectivity, and give a more thorough account of what happened that day...**_

"I see..." Fukuroi muttered. "So this... Yoshikazu is the one who killed these children." Mitsuki shivered slightly. "What a monster..." she shuddered. "According to the dying messages left by the school's dead, there are at least four spirits of young children, one in particular with a red dress..." Fukuroi said.

"Do you mean... Sachiko Shinozaki is one of these spirits? Here?" Mitsuki asked. "It would appear so," Fukuroi replied. "But, according to this, she survivbed. She shouldn't even be a child, let alone a child spirit..." Mitsuki pointed out. Fukuroi rubbed his forehead as he thought over all the information he had stored.

"I suppose so... let me look over this again..." he said softly, taking the article from Mitsuki and scanning it, whilst Mitsuki gulped slightly and looked around, almost as of she expected Sachiko Shinozaki to suddenly materialise in front of them.

(Elsewhere)

"Hmph! Well, that piece of shit doll was fucking useless!" Kai said, glaring at the limp doll in Tohko's hands. "Hey! Remember, Naho gave this to use with her blessing!" Tohko replied. Kai rolled his eyes and groaned, muttering about all this "spiritual bull".

"Anyways!" Tohko said. "Now that we have two tongues, all we need to do is find the other spirits. Kai looked at the bag in his hand, and read the name aloud.

"Yuki... Kanno... Huh..." he muttered, before his brow furrowed and he looked closer at the bag. "Huh? Someone's fingerprints are on this..." he said. "Have you already forgotten that you're touching it?" Tohko asked, her eyebrow raised. Kai shook his head. "Yeah... but... I'm holding it from the top..." he explained. "Did... someone else touch it before me?"

As those words left his mouth, a sudden chill ran down his neck. It felt as if someone was standing directly behind him, their ice cold gaze burrowing into his back. Kai grimaced. "Kirisaki?" He said, not moving. "Yes Shimada?" Tohko replied, also not moving, an identical look of fear on her face. "One of them is behind me... right?" He asked. "Uhh... that's bad... because I think one is behind me..." Tohko said.

The two remained in silence for a few seconds, before turning around to face the opposite ends of the corridor, backs pressed against each other. Unfortunately, both of them were right. Both found themselves staring into the eyes of a child spirit. "It... it's that boy from earlier... Ryou..." Tohko whispered.

Kai didn't reply. He found himself looking at a girl (presumably Yuki Kanno) no older than maybe ten or eleven. Like the other two ghosts before her, she pulsed a pale blue. Kai looked at her face, and was shocked to see that where her left should be, was instead a black, bloody, empty hole. Then, to Kai's horror, she began taking small steps towards him. "Shit..." he muttered, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out the other tongue bag from the roof.

"Kirisaki," he whispered. "I'll take this one, you do the other. Cool?" He said. Tohko didn't reply as he shoved Ryou's bag in Tohko's hand, whilst still keeping his eyes on Yuki. Tohko only let out a small hum in response, something Kai took as an "okay". The remaining pouch in his hand, Kai fully turned tor Yuki, who was still slowly walking towards him.

 **"Giiii... iiiiiiii... aaaaaacccccckkkkk..."**

Shuddering at the cold, disturbing voice, Kai loosened the tongue bag, and gave an extremely nervous grin. "Yuki Kanno ehh?" He said. No reply. "I uhh... have something of yours..." he said, as he lightly tossed the bag towards her, the brown, dry tongue rolling out and coming to a rest at Yuki's feet. Instantly, all her attention was squarely focused on her missing appendage.

Reaching for it, she picked it up and placed it in her mouth. She then looked Kai in the eye, and gave him what she likely intended to be a warm, thankfully smile, but came off as slightly unsettling to the redhead.

 **"Thank you... nii-chan..."**

A pure white light opened up above her, just like Tokiko, and she calmly ascended into it, before it faded away. Kai let out a massive sigh. "Ahhh... You good Kirisaki?" He asked.

No reply.

Kai frowned. "Kirisaki? You o-"

"I can't... move..."

Kai's eyes widened, and he began to turn. "No!" Tohko yelled. "Don't... look at him!" Kai clicked his teeth, before returning to his original position. He could still hear Ryou's footsteps, seemingly less than a few meters away. "Take it and... throw it back..." Tohko said, sweat rolling down her forehead as she stared into the spirit's cold, lifeless eyes. "Tch..." Kai muttered, before reaching back and grasping the pouch from Tohko's frozen hand. By now, Ryou's blue glow was creeping into the corners of his vision, meaning he was likely less than a meter or two away. Gulping, Kai opened the bag, and just tossed it over his shoulder, then closed his eyes.

His pulse increased as he heard Ryou's footsteps come to stop. "What's he doing?" He hesitantly asked. "He's... looking at the tongue," Tohko replied. Her muscles seemed looser, so she seemed to have been released from the host's spell. Then, a small, ghostly voice echoed throughout the hall.

 **"Thank... you..."**

A bright light appeared for a few seconds, and then disappeared. Kai waited a few seconds, before turning around. All he saw was a dark, empty hall, excluding Tohko.

"Awww hell yes!" He yelled as he punched the air, a massive grin on his face. "We fucking SLAYED them!" Tohko rolled her eyes at the display, but gave a small smile. "Yeah... nice work Shimada," she said. Kai stopped, and looked at Tohko. "Just once brat left... that little one in the red dress..." he said, a grin of pure confidence on his face.

As he said those words, a very slight tremble began running through the floor. "Ahhh! Not this again!" Tohko groaned. "Don't worry about it!" Kai said, still riding the high off his victory. "It's gonna be over in like a fe-"

Suddenly, the tremor spiked in power, significantly stronger than the last one. "HEHH?!" Kai gasped as he was thrown off balance and began stumbling around. "AHHH!" Tohko screamed, falling to her knees. It was only now that she noticed the cursed doll was no longer in her hands, but now bouncing around on the floor, completely silent.

The doll quickly faded from her thoughts, as she suddenly felt an odd drowsiness sweep over her mind. "Ehh...? Shim... Shimada?" She groaned as she fell forward. She had just enough time to see the redhead lying unconscious on the floor, before her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and her world turned black.

(Elsewhere)

"GHH!" Fukuroi exclaimed as the ground suddenly stated shifting and shaking. The article fell from his hand and drifted around the chaotic room. "AAAHHHH!" Mitsuki screamed as she threw her entire body at Fukuroi. "NO! NOOOOO!" She wailed. "Ahhh! Mitsuki! Calm down!" Fukuroi reassured, staring in shock at the shaking room.

Suddenly, a loud grinding sound resonated throughout the room. Fukuroi looked around in surprise, before looking up at the ceiling.

"Huh?! Is that a pla-!?"

 _SMASH!_

(Elsewhere)

"AHHHHH!" Emi screamed as the floor beneath her seemed to move back and forth. "Tch... what the hell!" Morishige yelled as he struggled to stay on his feet. "Urabe! Are you alright?!" He called. His only answer was more screaming. He looked over at her, and was surprised to see a massive gap had suddenly sprouted between them. "AHHH!" Emi screamed in sheer terror as she turned around and fled into the dark hallway. "NO! AAAHHHHHHHH!"

"Urabe! Wait!" Morishige yelled after her. She ignored, and just ran off, screaming like she was dying. Morishige kissed his teeth, before turning towards his side of the hall, and cautiously running into the darkness, praying a hole didn't open up beneath him.

A/N

Finally! Something mildly interesting happened to Emi and Morishige! It might be bad but hey, it's interesting!

 _I thought I killed you with that whale..._

Oh well! Anyways looks like chapter four is finally coming to a close! What on earth could happen?!

 _Ehh... so, the climax of CHAPTER 4 is due next time. Stay tuned..._

A/N


	17. CHAPTER 4 (6)

CHAPTER 4 (6)

"Uhh... wha..." Kai groaned as his eyes slowly opened to find himself staring at a blurry, and strangely colourful ceiling, outside of Heavenly Host's general colour scheme. Slowly, he dragged himself in a sitting position and rubbed the back of his head. "Damn... What happened?" He asked himself. The redhead glanced almost lazily to the side, and his eyes widened when he saw Tohko lying motionless several feet away. "Ehh?! Kirisaki!?" He said, quickly scrambling over her and examining her, letting out a sigh of relief when he noticed the slight rise and fall of her chest. Standing up, Kai stretched his stiff limbs for a minute, before looking around to see what room he was now in.

He was standing in the student council room at Byakudan Senior High School.

Kai stared at his surroundings for several seconds in confusion before he processed where he was. When he did, his jaw dropped. "No..." he muttered as he looked around wildly. "No... no fucking way..." he said as a massive grin worked it's way on his face. "Hahahaha... OH HELL YES!" He yelled, punching the air in triumph. "Hey! Kirisaki!" He said, crouching next to Tohko and shaking her awake.

"E-Ehh...?" She groaned, her eyelids lifting slowly. "We did it! We made it out!" Kai said, jumping up and running around the room touching random objects, as if to make sure it wasn't an illusion. Tohko slowly stood up and rubbed her eyes, before opening them fully and looking around. "Wha... What...?" She gasped softly. "We're... we're back..." she whispered, a small smile on her lips.

"Sure as hell we are!" Kai said, finishing his rounds of the room and sliding to a stop next to Tohko. "It's gonna take more than some hell house to take me down!" He declared, giving Tohko a thumbs up and his trademark smirk. Tohko just giggled slightly, to which Kai's grin grow even wider. "Well, I'm gonna check outside," he said, walking over to the door. Tohko nodded, and began walking around the room, smiling, as Kai flung open the door and poked his head out.

It was almost completely black, but it was undoubtedly Byakudan High. Kai let out a small sigh, and stood calmly in the door, staring at the dark corridor.

 _How long were we in that hell hole..._

 _Like, a few hours maybe? Felt like a fucking eternity..._

 _But hey... we made it out..._

 _I guess that's all that mat-_

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Kai jumped at the sudden scream, and turned his head back towards the student council room.

 _Kirisaki?!_

Stepping back inside and slamming the door shut, Kai began walking towards Tohko, who was shaking in pure fright, and staring transfixed at the right corner on the other side. "Oi! What's u-" Kai began, before he followed Tohko's line of sight. His breath left him as his eyes widened and his face paled.

At least a quarter of the room had been completely enveloped in pure darkness. It was as if someone had just ripped a chunk of the room away. Multiple pairs of crimson eyes glared at the duo, their gaze radiating pure anger. The edge of the black mass was lined with multiple thin, long, clawed hand, all made of the same wispy shadows, constantly shifted and clawing at the air, as if looking for someone to grab and crush.

"No... No..." Tohko shuddered as she fell to her knees, shivering. Kai backed away, nothing but naked horror in his eyes. "What the fuck is this shit!? Why the hell ain't all this bull over?!" He demanded.

"Because you still have one last person to appease..."

The two jumped at the ghostly, barely audible voice. They turned around, to see none other than Yuki Kanno, gazing at them, a sombre expression on her face. "You..." Kai muttered, as Tohko got to her feet. "One last person? Do you mean the girl in the red dress?" She asked, to which Yuki nodded. "We did the last three flawlessly," Kai said. "What makes this one any different?"

Yuki didn't reply for several seconds. Then, she cast her gaze down. "She... Sachiko Shinozaki... she is more than us... she always was..." Yuki said. "I don't think that I can explain in words, but..." With that, she looked up at Tohko, and began walking towards her. "Ahhh! Wh-what are you...!" Tohko sputtered, taking a step back, whilst Kai took a step forward. "You trying something, you little punk?!" He demanded, his fists up. Yuki shook her head. "No... I just want to show her... the truth..." she explained. Kai held his ground for a second, looking deep in Yuki's eye. Eventually, he sighed, and reluctantly took a step back. Yuki nodded gratefully at him.

"Thank you, Kai onii-chan..." she said. The redhead cocked an eyebrow, but didn't say anything as Yuki continued walking towards Tohko, who was sweating, but standing tall nonetheless. "Come on. What is it?" She asked. In response, Yuki reached up and pressed her palm against Tohko's forehead. A second later, Tohko felt a strange feeling of emptiness wash over her. Her vision stared to darken at an alarming rate, and she suddenly became very drowsy. The last thing she saw was Yuki's look of pure concentration, and Kai's sharp glare of confusion, before her consciousness faded.

 _..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _"Uhh..." Tohko groaned as her eyes slowly fluttered open. The first thing she noticed was that she seemed to be lying on the cold ground, judging by the brown ceiling she was staring up at. The second thing she noticed was the fact that her wrists and ankles were bound tightly with old, rough ropes. "Wha... Shimada? Yuki?" She mumbled as she looked to her right. To her surprise, she saw two young children by her side, whimpering softly. They were the other two ghost children, Ryou and Tokiko. She rolled her neck to the right, and a chill ran down her neck._

 _Lying on her side, facing away from Tohko... was the girl in the red dress... Sachiko Shinozaki..._

 _"Ooooooooorrrrrr..."_

 _"Ahhh!" Tohko gasped as the unearthly groan echoed throughout the room. There was no mistaking it. It was Yoshikazu. Slow, heavy footsteps stomped over to Tohko, who shut her eyes in fear. Then, she felt a fabric suddenly wrap around her closed eyes. She opened them wide, but was greeted by darkness. "Ahhh! No! Please!" She begged, trying to shake the blindfold off her eyes. Then, she heard one of the children to her left start to sob as a dragging sound struck Tohko's ears._

 _"Oh no... please don't let this be what I think it is..." she thought, sweat pouring down her forehead. The child, presumably Ryou, carried on crying, until, his cries suddenly escalated into screams of raw pain and terror. Accompanying that was the a low squishing sound, like someone was moving their hand in a bowl of bloody meat. Tohko thought back to the stab wounds she had seen on Ryou's stomach, and almost threw up at the mere thought of what was happening._

 _Eventually, Ryou's screams subsided to just whimpers. Soon after, he fell silent altogether. There was a sound of something being tossed across the room, and then footsteps once again. Tohko shivered in fear, as Tokiko, who had been lying there sobbing in terror, began screaming and bawling as she was dragged to presumably the same spot where Ryou had been. Tohko heard the sound a pair of scissors snipping, before Tokiko's screams increased in volume dramatically, as the sound of blood squirting and flesh squelching resonated throughout the room. Tohko being whimpering, and rolling slightly._

 _"Please... just let her die already..." she slightly begged, as Tokiko's strangled cries continued. Eventually, there was a loud, shrill cry of pure anguish and pain, and then nothing. There was the same sound of something being thrown across the room, and then the footsteps started up again. Suddenly, Tohko felt large, rough hands grabbing her, and dragging her across the cold, dirty floor. "AAHHHHH! NO! STOP!" She screamed, shaking her head and kicking her legs, jamming her heels into the ground in a futile attempt to stop Yoshikazu from dragging her any further. Then, she was thrown on a hard wooden table, and held down with metal clamps on her wrists and ankles. "No... NOOOOOO!" She yelled, desperately straining at the clamps._

 _Suddenly, she felt somebody slowly walking towards her, climb on the table, and straddle her waist. The person was much lighter than expected, and seemingly much smaller. For what seemed like eternity, nobody moved or made a single sound. Then, the blindfold over Tohko's eyes was carefully and slowly lifted, exposing her wide, terrified eyes, as Tohko looked into the eyes of the Heavenly Host killer..._

 _As she looked into the eyes of the person responsible for countless agonizing deaths..._

 _As she looked into the eyes of the person who was about to bring her terrible pain..._

 _Sachiko Shinozaki stared blankly at the horrified girl beneath her. Her eyes, which seemed to be black, held no emotions whatever. No remorse. No regrets. Nothing. Excluding her skin, which was more healthy looking and flushed, she was exactly the same as she had been in Heavenly Host. Then, she opened her mouth, and spoke._

 _"Oh... you have such pretty, big eyes Yuki..." She whispered softly as if in a trance. Then, her lips slowly pulled back, exposing her dagger-like teeth in a vicious, disgusting grin. Her pupils shrank dramatically, until they were just black dots in her massive white eyes. The resulting face was quite simply, the most horrific, terrifying thing Tohko had ever seen, and likely ever will see in her life. Then, Sachiko lifted up her right hand, revealing a pair of rusty, bloody scissors._

"̧I̛҉ ͠w̶̛ǫ͜͢n͞d̶͜͞é̴r҉̸ ̷w͠h̶̕a̶t̸͢͠ h̨͞a̵͟p̸p̷̢en҉҉ş ̵i҉f͘ ̵̡I̢̡͞ ̶d̶͞o͠ th̴i̛s҉̵̵ ҉ţ̵o͜ ̀͠i̷̵t̴.͞.͟.̨.̷̧̕.͜.̵.̡͝.͝.̵.̶͘.͘"

(Elsewhere)

"Shinozaki! Kishinuma! Mochida!" Yui Shishido called as she wondered the empty halls of Heavenly Host Elementary. It had been at least an hour since she had separated from her students, and she'd spent all her time looking for them. "Hello! Anyone!" She yelled desperately. No reply. Sighing, Yui stopped walking and lent against the wall. "Jeez... what IS this place?" She asked herself. She remained in silence for awhile before glancing up and looking around.

"Where on earth could they possibly be..." She muttered, her eyes down-cast. "I swear, as a teacher of Kisaragi Academy, I will find you all, and make sure each and every one of you leaves this place alive..." She said, nodding to herself.

"But, in order to do that, I have to fi-"

"... Nothing wrong..."

"Ehh?" Yui said, her head peeking up at the sudden voice.

"... I'm not wrong..."

A soft, deep voice echoed throughout the halls. It definitely wasn't one of her students, but it was someone! "Hello! Is anyone there?!" Yui yelled into the darkness. There was silence for awhile, before the voice spoke up again.

"There's nothing wrong..."

Yui began walking in the direction of the voice. "Hello! Are you alright?!" She asked. Eventually, a person came into view. It was a rather tall young man, with short black hair and wearing an unfamiliar uniform, with his shirt unbuttoned, a maroon blazer slung on his right shoulder, and a silver chain hooked on to his belt. Yui sighed with relief, and began running towards him. "Exuse me! Are you... umm..." She trailed off and slowed her run as she noticed something was... off about him.

First off, the man was completely drenched from head to toe. His clothes stuck to him like they'd been glued to him. He was also slouching heavily, his bangs casting a dark shadow over his face, as he just... stood there, mumbling to himself.

"I'm not wrong..."

Nonetheless, Yui quickly resumed sprinting. After all, the man could have been in shock. Maybe he needed help. "Hey! Are you okay?" She asked finally reaching him and stopping just a few feet in front of him. The man didn't pay her any attention, and just kept muttering to himself.

"...Nothing wrong..."

"Umm, excuse me..." Yui said, slowly walking forward. "I-I see you're in shock. Is there anything I can do?" She asked, slowly resting a hand on the man's shoulder. As soon as she made contact, the man flicked his head up. Yui jumped back, surprised. "I-I'm sor-!" She began.

Suddenly, the man rose to his full height, and in one swift stride, stepped towards Yui, and grabbed her by the throat. "Ahhgg! E-E..." Yui sputtered as the man slammed her against the wall, towering over her. Gasping for breath, the T.A looked up at her attacker's eyes, hoping to talk him out of it with her eyes. But what she saw only sucked even more air out of her.

Never had Yui seen so much anger, so much _fury_... A cold shiver ran down her spine as she gazed into those burning, dark gray eyes that may as well belong to the devil himself. But there was something else. Something behind the rage, the contempt, the madness... confusion. Horror. And a sick, twisted form of pity. The man's features showed nothing but raw anger, but even as she watched, his lips began trembling, his eyes twitching.

"Pl... P...Plea... se..." she managed to groan, desperately trying to appeal to the shard of humanity in the monster before her. And, for a brief second, his grip loosened. But then his fury seemed to increase tenfold.

"There's nothing wrong... THERE'S NOTHING FUCKING WRONG!" He screamed into Yui's face as he tightened his grasp on her throat. Yui gasped and sputtered as her vision began to darken. The last thing she saw before losing conscious...

...was a young man staring hopefully into her eyes, desperately searching for her dying light... desperately trying to find the same feeling he'd felt the other times...

 _SNAP!_

Yuuya slowly let go of the lifeless woman's throat, and she collapsed to the ground on her back. He stared at her with a completely blank expression, before his breathing suddenly became heavier.

"Ahhh..."

Panting heavily, he held his head in his hands, as his eyes shook in their sockets..

"Grk... ghh... ahh..."

Trembling, he turned towards Yui's lifeless corpse, and looked at her twisted neck, wrung like a rope, her cold, pale skin, her dead... blank... eyes...

"Ahhhh... AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

CHAPTER 4

END

A/N

A perfect ending. Shakespeare himself could not have done better...

CHAPTER 4 has come to a close... and with it...

The beginning...

... of the end...

A/N


	18. CHAPTER 5 (1)

CHAPTER 5 (1)

"Mayu! Urabe! Mochida! Hello!" Morishige called out into the darkness. Predictably, there was no reply. Sighing, he continued on his way, his phone gripped loosely in his right hand as he stalked Heavenly Host's twisted halls. It had been quite some time since he and Emi had separated, and he had yet to encounter any living souls. Eventually, he came to a stairwell. Climbing the first flight, he sat on the top step to rest for awhile.

"Another hour spent here is another hour too long..." Morishige muttered as he ran his free hand though his soft, wavy hair. "It feels like I've already spent an eternity here," he groaned, rubbing his forehead. "I have to find Mayu and the others and get out..." he said. Then, a dreamy, far off look came into his eyes. "Mayu... where are you..." he whispered. "Why ain't you here... can't you tell..."

"...just how worried I am about you..."

(Yesterday)

Morishige sat alone in his room at his desk, clad in his tan pyjamas. His cell phone was flicked open as he almost lazily browsed his latest photos. A cat... a desk in his class... some students entering school...

He stopped.

The picture he stopped on depicted none other than Mayu Suzumoto. She was giving her signature cherry grin, and was flashing a peace sign whilst winking. Morishige stared silently at the image, something faint flickering in the depths of his otherwise emotionless eyes.

Suddenly, a high, ringing noise emitted from the phone, startling Morishige slightly as the caller ID appeared on screen.

Speak of the devil...

Morishige pressed the RECEIVE button, and helped the phone to his ear. "Hello?" He greeted. "Morishige? This is the class president speaking!" The person on the other end said in a obviously faked serious tone. Morishige sighed slightly. "Hello, _Mayu_."

Mayu giggled. "You got me!" She said. "So, what's up?" Morishige asked. "Oh! I just wanted to wish you luck in tomorrow's cultural festival!" Mayu replied, before quietly adding, "that's all."

"Tomorrow's your last day isn't it?" Morishige said, to Mayu's slight surprise. "Your last day at school..." he finished, closing his eyes. "...Yeah," Mayu sighed, her eyes downcast. "Oh well! The only thing changing is your school. We can still call each like this," the bespectacled boy reminded her. "...Yeah," Mayu repeated. There was a moment of silence, before Morishige asked, "What, do you want to change it?" Mayu gasped softly and shook her head, whimpering slightly. "Hmm? What is it?" Morishige asked, confused. "I-I don't want anything to change!" Mayu blurted out.

"Good. Honesty is a virtue." Morishige said. There was a brief pause, before Mayu began giggling softly. "That's why there's nothing to be afraid of, Mayu," Morishige reassured. "If anything happens, contact me right away."

"I will!" Mayu affirmed. "Got that? If so, I'm hanging up. Unlike you, I'm actually rather busy," Morishige said. "Got it! See you tomorrow Shig-nii! Good night!" Mayu cheerfully replied. "Thanks," Morishige said before tapping the end button. He then pulled the phone from his ear, and flipped it shut, a slight smile gracing his lips.

(Present)

"I have to do this... I have to find you Mayu..." Morishige said. "You're completely vulnerable in a place like this... I need to protect you..." he whispered. Then, a slightly unsettling grin worked its way onto his face. "Hehehe... but that's not the real reason I'm trying so hard to find you," he muttered. "No, nothing so noble. Every time I saw your face, and heard you greet me with that 'Shig, bro!' you'd always say..."

"...you were saving my life."

Morishige remained silent for several seconds, before suddenly clutching his head in his free hand. "Mayu... please! Where are you... I need you..." he whispered softly. "Ahhh! Dammit!" He yelled, sitting up straight and flipping open his phone. "Just once more! I have to see the suffering of others!" He said almost angrily as he clicked the PHOTO GALLERY folder, and began flicking through the vast amount of dead bodies captured with his camera. Morishige took several deep breaths, before finally calming down.

"And... still sane..." he said, letting out a sigh of relief. He continued browsing his photos, before stopping at one. "Ahh yes... I remember this one..." he said, a disturbingly large smile on his face. The image depicted a massive, bloody mess, a body that seemed to have been slammed against the wall at high speed, and instantly pulverized. "Heh... should there ever be an afterlife... she must be very embarrassed to show her face there..." he mused, staring intently at the image. "I might feel sorry for her... if she weren't a complete stranger..."

 _BEEP!BEEP!_

"Ehh?" Morishige muttered as his phone began ringing. The screen didn't change at all, and no caller ID popped up. Raising an eyebrow, Morishige clicked RECEIVE, and held the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

At first nothing, but white noise could be heard. Then, a faint barely noticeable voice began speaking. It was incredibly quiet, but even so Morishige recognized it instantly.

 **"... please... don't look..."**

"Mayu?!" He gasped, standing up. "Mayu! Where are you?! Are you alright?!" He asked hurriedly.

 **"... don't look... at me..."**

"What? What are you talking about Mayu? Where are you?!" Morishige demanded, getting more and more panicky.

 **"...stop staring at... my insides..."**

Morishige didn't move for about five seconds. Then, he slowly removed the phone from his ear, and looked at the blood stain still pictured on the phone.

"́.҉̩͈̟̞͔̪̖.̹̞͓̟̦̦̝.̺̫.̷͕̹̠̹͇̝̫S͎͎̀ͅh̲͔͇̟̺i͍̲̣̹g͙͠-̼͍͚̣̝n̖̠͚̗̦͟ͅi̴͙i̜̗.̴̜.̻̫̱̞̬̭.̥̩͟ͅ.̶̘̗͚̯͙.̙͓̭̺̮̕.̭͢ ̸̩̩̰p͎l̨̫e̠̕a̰͍̗s̶̳͍̪ͅe̶.̖ͅ.̫͍͕̰͚̟.̳͠.͙̟̺.҉̬̖.̙̀"͉͉̲̦̼̻

(Elsewhere)

"Hello! Morishige! Tohko! Mitsuki! Shimada!" Emi yelled as she cautiously walked through the school. "Anyone..." she whimpered, her eyes welling up at the corners.

 _Is... is this how it ends..._

 _Me walking alone... with nobody else..._

 _I'm so sorry... everyone... I didn't even get to..._

"Aaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!"

"E-Ehh?!" Emi cried as she jumped at the sudden scream, which seemed to be coming from somewhere in front of her. "U-Uhh... hello?" She called out.

"Ahhhhhh! Hahaha! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

A cold shiver ran down Emi's spine as the demented cackle rang throughout the school. Slowly and hesitantly, she began walking forward towards the source, shivering as she did. The laughing and screams had stopped, but now an different, odd sound had replaced them.

 _SLAM!SQUISH!_

It almost sounded like someone was beating meat with a stick of sorts. Eventually Emi came to a corner, where the noises seemed to be coming from. Gulping and taking several deep breaths, Emi slowly walked around the corner, trying to prepare herself for what horror she may see.

She failed.

It took all her willpower not to cry out and collapse on the spot. Standing before her with his back facing her, was Sakutaro Morishige. In his right hand he gripped a blue, rusty, and bloody crowbar, whilst his phone was still held in his other hand. In front of him lying motionless on the floor was a withered corpse, with multiple dents and pokes in it.

"It's incredible that one who's been dead for so long still has this much blood..." Morishige said as he raised the crowbar and slammed it on the corpse's arm. A dull crack resonated throughout the area, and a stream of blood squirted the broken arm. Emi whimpered softly, and took a step back, intent on getting as far away as she could.

 _CREEEEEK!_

Emi froze in fear. For awhile, Morishige didn't move at all. Then, he slowly tilted his head back in a shaft head tilt to look at her. "Urabe! What a nice surprise..." he said as Emi let out a sharp gasp.

Something had snapped inside him. It was like something sinister and twisted in him had broken its chains and been sit free. Sakutaro's eyes were clouded with a dark glaze of insanity. His glasses shone with a bright, unsettling light, and blood streaks lined his cheeks as his mouth curved upward into a wide, sick smile.

"I was wondering what happened to you..." The twisted young man whispered as he turned towards Emi, his bangs casting a shadow over his face, his eyes still managing to peek through. "Hmmm? You're shaking," Morishige noticed, tilting his head to the side in amusement as he looked the terrified girl in front of him up and down.

"W-Wha... Wha..." Emi sputtered, her legs barely supporting her. "Oh! I guess it makes me look bad when I beat a corpse huh? Kinda like THIS!" Morishige yelled as he brought the crowbar down on the corpse skull, cracking it open like a ripe watermelon. "Ahh!" Emi screamed, began to walk back. "No need to be afraid Urabe. I'll help you find all your friends," Morishige offered. Emi gulped, and shook her head. "N-No... I-I'm fi-"

"I'm afraid I'm not asking," Morishige said, his grin growing. "I promise I'll take good care of you... so just come over here and let me help you!" He yelled, taking one massive step towards her and swinging the crowbar at her. "AHHH!" Emi cried as she jumped back, just barely avoiding the attack. "NO! AHHHHH!" She screamed as she turned tail and ran off. "Why are you running?! Come on! That's not fair! Hahaha!" Morishige cackled as he set after her, taking slow but long strides, somehow managing to keep up with her.

"Urrrrraaaaaaaabeeeeee~!" Sakutaro hissed, his eyes ablaze with sadistic pleasure. "I promise I won't do anything bad! I'm just here to help!" He said as Emi forced herself to keep running. Unfortunately for her, she was far from any athlete, and her pants and gasps became heavier as she gradually began slowing down. "Please! No!" She cried, desperately willing her legs to keep going. "Ahahahaha!" Morishige laughed, swinging his crowbar from side to side as he came closer and closer to his target.

"Help! Anyone!" Emi screamed, her legs trembling as she pushed herself forward, tears streaming down her cheeks. She took several deep gasps, before opening her mouth to shout again.

"Someone hel-!"

 _WHACK!_

"AGGGHH!" She cried as the crowbar struck her in the back of the head. She stumbled forwards a few more steps, before crashing face down on the floor. Sobbing, she immediately tried pushing herself up, before Morishige slammed his foot on her back, forcing down to the floor. "Don't think you're going anywhere..." he said, his teeth bared in a vicious grin, his glasses shining with an insane light, his former green eyes now seemingly a solid, dark blue.

"Please... Help me..." Emi begged, coughing and sobbing. Suddenly, Morishige swung his crowbar at her, once again catching her in the back of the head. "AGH!" She cried in pain as her head jerked upwards. Then, her eyes rolled into the back of her head, as her eyelids slid closed and her body went limp.

"Don't worry Urabe..." Morishige whispered, his breath forming clouds in front of his face. "I'll make sure to wake you up, and give you a REAL. GOOD. MAKEOVER..." he said as he lifted his crowbar, chuckling.

"Hahaha... ahahaha... Hehehe! Hahaha! AHAHAH-!"

"Mori... shige...?"

Morishige's laugh instantly stopped. His grin was wiped off his face as he registered the sudden voice coming from behind him. Frowning, he turned around to face the one who interrupted him. His jaw dropped slightly.

"What?! Kishinuma?!"

Standing before him was Yoshiki Kishinuma. The right side of his face was dripping with blood, and his right eye was completely bloodshot, but he was still alive. "Wha... What the hell are you doing?!" He yelled, clutching the bleeding side of his head. For a few seconds, Morishige stared at him with a completely dumbstruck look. Then, his eyes narrowed, and his lips tightened into a dark grin.

"Kishinuma... I'm glad to see you are well," he greeted. "Oh shut up!" Yoshiki shouted. "What we're you going to do to that girl!?" Morishige merely kissed his teeth in response. "I'm just putting this tortured soul out her misery. Is there something wrong with that?" He asked, his grin growing wider. "Quit it Morishige! Just drop the freaking crowbar and don't do anything fucked up!" Yoshiki demanded, stepping forward. Sakutaro raised his eyebrow.

"Care to tell what happens if I don't?"

For several seconds, the two Kisaragi students stared intently at each other. Then, Yoshiki kissed his teeth, before dashing towards Morishige, who's smile grew ever wider. "You fucking bastard!" Yoshiki yelled as he threw his left fist at Morishige. The taller boy calmly stepped to the side, completely avoiding the attack, and slammed his crowbar into the blond's right side. "Ghh!" Yoshiki shouted as his right hand instinctively moved down to his side. Sakutaro then lifted the crowbar, and slammed it into Yoshiki's now unprotected head.

"GHGL!" Yoshiki yelled as he collapsed to the floor, clutching his head, blood flowing freely out of the already agonizing wound. "For a former delinquent, I have to say I'm unimpressed," Morishige said as he towered over his classmate. Groaning in pain, Yoshiki looked up at Morishige, who not only lifted his crowbar, but flipped open his phone.

"Time to join Mayu for ever Kishinuma..."

(Later)

Emi awoke to the worst headache she'd gotten in her life. "Ahhhh..." she moaned as she lifted her hand clutched the back of her head. "It hurts... Help... me..." she cried as she used her elbow to push herself up, her eyes shut tight in pain.

"I see you have awoken."

Hearing the voice, Emi opened her eyes slightly and looked looked in the direction the voice had come from. As soon as she realized what she was looking at, her eyes opened fully. "AAHHHHHH!" She shrieked, her pain forgotten as she began scooting away from the scene before her.

The body of presumably a boy wearing the same uniform as Morishige was lying sprawled out on the floor. The only reason Emi believed he was male was due to the uniform and completely flat chest, as she had no facial features to go by. The head of the boy had been reduced to a mere pink mush, with random chunks sewn without. The sick soup was like some twisted flower, blooming around the boys neck, which seemed to suddenly turn into goo halfway up.

Morishige himself was standing in front of the corpse, facing Emi. His clothes were drenched in blood of varying shades, and his hands, face, and hair were also completely covered. His eyes almost appeared to be a swirling vortex of insanity and bloodlust. His lips no longer even resembled a smile any more, his teeth were merely bared for the world to see. The top half of the crowbar he held was now completely red. On his open phone was a photograph of the horrific display behind him.

"Everything with be fine... Emi..." the demented boy said, his head twitching slightly. "I promise... You will be the prettiest... most adorable young lady in this entire school..." he whispered, as he took a step towards Emi. "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Emi screamed as she scrambled to her feet and sprinted as fast as she could away.

"Ahahahaha! AAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Morishige laughed maniacally as he began running after her, slicing the air with his crowbar. Emi just kept on running as fast as she could, pure fear pumping adrenaline through her veins. Eventually, she came to a sharp corner, and automatically turned and continued running. For a split second, she made note of a large, red blur on the previous wall, but immediately disregarded it and continued running.

Morishige saw Emi turn the corner, and his grin turned impossibly wider. "YOU CAN'T OUTRUN ME FOREVER!" He screamed after her as he increased his speed. However, as he did so, he suddenly noticed something odd about the wall in front of him. It stood out from its surroundings, and was a bright red in colour. Frowning, he focused his attention on the wall, and came to a stop several feet away from it to observe it.

He found himself looking at Mayu.

Her body had been smeared across the wall and floor like a thick, chunky paint. Intestines and other body parts were scattered throughout the mess. Closer inspection revealed several stuffs of brown hair. And in the centre of it all, was a plastic student I.D, the words on it completely visible.

MAYU SUZUMOTO

KISARAGI ACADEMY SENIOR HIGH

2-9

Morishige just stared at the bloody mess in front of him, a dead, cold look on his face. Then, his entire form began slowly trembling. His breathing became heavier, and his open phone fell to the floor, hitting it with a clatter. "Ahhh... aaaahahahaha... aaaaahhhhhhh..." Morishige hissed. His gaze was focused squarely on the former person in front of him. His classmate. His best friend. Someone he would call a sister.

"Ahhhhhh... AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

With that scream, any trace that remained of Sakutaro Morishige died.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Morishige slammed his crowbar against the floor, his demented laughter filling the hall. He raised the crowbar and hit the floor again. And again. And again. He could barely hear anything over his almost animalistic cackles as he waved his crowbar around, hitting everything he could. Nothing mattered. Not the school. Not him. Not Mayu. Not the heavy footsteps that seemed to be making their way towards him. Nothing. He was no longer any kind of human. Just a mad, insane beast.

 _WHACK!_

He was still laughing when the heavy sledgehammer crashed into his back.

He was still laughing when he hit the floor.

 _CRACK!_

He was still laughing when his back broke.

 _WHACK!_

He stopped laughing.


	19. CHAPTER 5 (2)

CHAPTER 5 (2)

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Tohko instantly sat up, her back rigid and stiff, her chest heaving as she gasped and sputtered. "Kirisaki! You alright?!" a loud, rough male voice asked. Trembling heavily, she turned her head to the right to see Kai kneeling next to her, a surprised and oddly concerned look on his face. "Ey? You doing go-?" He began, before Tohko suddenly flung herself at him, sending the redhead flying back and landing on his back.

"Ehh?! W-What the hell?!" Kai demanded, looking down at the girl lying face down on him, her face buried in his shirt. "Please... don't let him hurt me anymore..." Tohko sobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks and onto Kai's shirt. "Cool it Kirisaki!" Kai hurriedly said, trying to reassure her. "We're home! Ain't nobody here to hurt you!"

Tohko raised her head, her cheeks flushed and eyes red, and looked around the room. Upon realizing she was in her safe student council room, she looked at Kai, who gave her a somewhat awkward smile. "Ehh... sorry..." Tohko muttered as she rolled off him and stood up. "So, what kinda shit did you see?" Kai asked, getting to his feet.

Almost instantly, Tohko's eyes began watering again. "I... I saw it... I saw what happened..." she hesitantly said. "Huh? What are you talking about?" Kai questioned, raising an eyebrow. "The child spirits... I saw them... I saw them all get killed..." Tohko replied, covering her eyes as the horrific sounds she heard rushed back to her. Kai stiffened, before grinding his teeth in anger. "Fucking hell... what did that Yanagihori bastard do to them?"

"It wasn't him..." Tohko whispered, shaking her head. Kai's brow furrowed. "Wha... what the hell are you saying?" He asked. "It was her... the girl in the red dress... Sachiko Shinozaki..." Tohko said, shaking as she remembered the horrific face Sachiko made as she dig out her... Yuki's... eye.

Kai paled slightly as he processed what Tohko said. "No fucking way..." he gasped, his eyes wide. "I can picture that big tub of lard stealing kiddos any other day, but... her?" He asked.

"Yes..." a young, ghostly voice replied. The two turned to see Yuki standing behind them. She seemed even more solemn than usual as she gazed sadly into the survivors eyes. "Sachiko is the one who killed us... all of us... including all those who will continue to fall into Heavenly Host's dark web..." She muttered. "Unless of course..." she began, before trailing off. "Unless what?" Tohko asked. Yuki hesitated, before replying.

"Unless you go back to Heavenly Host... and appease Sachiko."

For a few seconds, the Byakudan duo stared at the ghost in complete shock, before Kai broke the silence. "Are you saying... we willing have to go back to that hell hole...?" He asked, shaking with silent fury. "As if anyone would actually do tha-"

"We should," Tohko said, her eyes downcast. "Ehh?! The hell you saying Kirisaki?!" Kai demanded. "We need to do this!" Tohko said, lifting her gaze to meet Yuki's. "If we don't, then countless other innocent people will just die needlessly. I say we do it!" Tohko yelled. Both Kai and Yuki gave her a surprised look, before a small smile formed on Yuki's lips. "I knew you were the right people..." she said as the air behind her suddenly ripped open, revealing a swirling vortex. Tohko hesitated for a second, before gulping and walking forward. "Come on Shimada."

"No."

"Huh?" Tohko asked, turning back to face her classmate. "No way in hell I'm going back there," the redhead said. "What? Why?" Tohko asked. "Why? Because I don't want to get killed dammit! And neither should you!" Kai yelled. "Why are you bothering to sacrifice yourself for people you don't even know?!"

Tohko blinked, shocked, before frowning. "If you wouldn't stop Sachiko for future victims... then at least stop her for your friends." Kai flinched. A nerve had definitely been struck. Though as to how deep that nerve ran...

"Tch. Those assholes didn't make it like we did. You and me... we got out. The others are probably stuck there, crying like punk ass bitches. They're gonna die one by one and I say let 'em!" Kai yelled, his face almost as red as his hair. Tohko's eyes widened in shock, before her temper began rising. "If you're selfish enough that you'd abandon your own friends, then why are you so insistent on me staying?!"

"Because I-!" Kai began, before trailing off. "Because what?" Tohko asked. "Because I don't..." Kai sputtered, turning his head away, his face turning even more red. Tohko tilted her head slightly in confusion. "What is it?" She asked.

"Like... LIKE I HAVE TO TELL YOU ANYTHING!" The redhead screamed, making Tohko take several steps back in surprise. "YOU WANNA DIE!? FINE! THEN GO FUCKING DIE!" He yelled, panting heavily. Tohko stared at him in shock, before her expression hardened, and her gaze drifted downwards. "Hmph. Fine then..." she muttered, turning and walking towards the rip-like portal. Kai blinked in surprise, as of just realizing what just happened, and stepped forward, his arm outstretched. "Kirisaki! Wait!" He called. Tohko didn't turn back. She just stepped through the rip, and disappeared. Yuki, who had been watching in silence, looked at Kai with an almost curious expression on her face before following Tohko in.

The redhead slowly lowered his arm as the gateway back into Heavenly Host vanished, and stood there in stunned silence.

(Elsewhere)

 _Why..._

 _Why don't don't I feel it..._

Yuuya stared at Yui's lifeless body, crouching as he flexed his hands. His brow was furrowed as hundreds of thoughts echoed throughout his mind.

 _As long as the possibility of an exit exists... then it makes my actions wrong... I still sin when I kill a human in here..._

 _Heh... but that's not what is distracting me..._

 _My classmates... those fools... it seems that by spending so much time with them... I've become subconsciously attached to them..._

 _Kurosaki... Shimada... Kirisaki... Urabe... Ohkawa... Katayama... Fukuroi... Yamamoto..._

 _What have you done to me..._

"Another addition to your impressive track record..."

Kizami snapped out of his thoughts as soon as he heard the voice. Standing up, he looked around, but was greeted by just darkness. "Who's there?" He asked. As soon as he asked that question, someone shuffled forward from the dark depths of the corridor.

It was a small, pale little girl, with long black hair, and a striking red dress. Upon lying eyes on her, Kizami felt a slight chill run down his back. "Who are you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "I'm the master of this place," the girl answered, a blank look on her face. Gasping softly, Yuuya stepped back, ready to run if he had to. "Oh don't worry," the girl reassured. "I'm going to help you actually." Yuuya frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Do you know how often people like you show up?" The girl asked. "Far too rarely. So when a freak like you does show, it's a real treat." Kizami kissed his teeth. "Where are you going with this?" He asked, slightly cautious. "I want you to join me. To help me end everyone who sets foot in this building," the girl said, not a single trace of emotion on her face. Kizami's eyes widened, as he thought over the girls offer, and his recent thoughts.

"I'm afraid that I cannot accept such an offer," he said. The girl tilted her head to the side slightly. "I know it now... there is a way out... and finding it is my goal now..." Yuuya explained.

For awhile, the girl didn't move at all. Not a single hint of emotion could be seen on her face. Then, slowly, a cold, thin smirk made it's way on her lips, as she began walking towards Kizami.

"̜͙̤͘W̫̲̩̳͎͞h̷̲͓̱a͖̣t̙̖̟̺̯ͅ ̫̩̠̗ma̯̬̣̩̺k̷͕͇̮̻̪ͅe̞̳̗͢s̴̻̫ ̴̱y̖̙̱̳̖͚̘͢o͡ͅu̶̖͍̻͖ ̪͙̩͇̮t͚͍̞͕̙̳̹͘ḥ̟̮́i̢n̩̲͍̦͕k̼͕͇̟̠̩̣ ̯̦I̷̗̞̝̱̘'̹̼͎̀m̝̟̺͉̝̦ ͇̹̜̮̭̻̲a̖̝͠s̶͓ķ̱̟͖͈i͍̟̮̰̺̹͢n̙̭͙̱g͈̯̰͎?"͔̤̘̘̣


	20. CHAPTER 5 (3)

CHAPTER 5 (3)

Kai stared at the empty space where Tohko and Yuki had once stood, a completely dumbstruck look on his face, his arms hanging loosely by his sides. Then, his eyes narrowed, and his mouth pulled back in a twisted grimace. "Tch... filthy whore..." he muttered as he spun on his heels and headed towards the door. "Like I need her... or the others... just a bunch of slackers and idiots... douches and retards..."

With that, he reached the door, and stood in front of it. "I've got a pretty good life... no problems with money, women, all that shit... I'm better off without those fools." With that he grabbed the handle, slid open the door...

...and out stepped Kurosaki.

For a few seconds, Kai just stared blankly at his classmate, his head tilted slightly in confusion. When he finally registered exactly who was standing in front of him, his eyes widened dramatically. "W-WHAT?!" He yelled, jumping back. "Hey Shimada! You doing good?" Kurosaki asked, his usual grin on his face. "B-But... you... you're..." Kai stammered, pointing a trembling finger at the boy who should be dead, and instead was in the real world, seemingly fine.

"Huh? What's up with that face?" Kurosaki asked. "You better be prepared for the upcoming track race! There's a medal with my name on it! Hahaha!" Kurosaki laughed, before he just... faded from view. Like a ghost. Kai stared in shock at the spot where the figure had been, before growling. "Dammit... some fucked up hallucination..." he dismissed, as he once again walked towards the door.

"Oi! Shimada!"

The redhead turned a complete 180 to face the voice behind him. "Who the he-!" He began, before recognizing the girl before him. "Yamamoto..." he gasped. "Are you just gonna stand there, or are you gonna help out with the cleaning! This isn't a fun house!" Mitsuki yelled at him, her arms folded across her chest, a stern look on her face. "I... I..." Kai struggled to form any coherent words, and by the time he did, Mitsuki had faded away.

"What the fuck... what the fuck..." Kai whispered to himself, his eyes wide. "Oh damn! I got a wrong end!" Accompanying the sudden voice was a generic game over jingle. Kai turned to see Katayama clutching a PSP in his hands, his features wrecked with annoyance. "I told you not to trust that spirit!" Ohkawa said, peering over Katayama's shoulder.

"Katayama... Ohkawa..." Kai muttered. The two looked up, and noticed the surprised redhead in front of them. "Shimada? You wanna go?" Katayama asked. "If you lose, can I get a raise on my salary?" Ohkawa asked hopefully. Kai staggered back, his face pale, before falling on his behind. "Wha... what the fuck is this?" He said, rubbing his forehead.

"Oh! Shimada! Are you alright?"

Instantly, Kai's head flicked to the side to see Emi kneeling next to him, a concerned look on her face. "You took a pretty hard fall. Do you want to go to the nurses office?" She asked, her arms outstretched like she was about to touch him, but instead they just hovering in front of her like she was too shy to do anything. "Leave him be," said another voice. Kai looked up to see Kizami standing behind Emi, a dark grin on his face, hands casually shoved in his pockets. "If he's as strong as he claims he is, a little fall isn't going to do anything," he said. "Oh... Are you sure?" Emi asked, looking up at the boy behind her. Terrified, Kai scrambled away and until he had backed into a wall. By this point, Emi and Kizami had disappeared.

Shaking, Kai used a desk next to him to pull himself up. "No... this isn't... no..." he muttered, closing his eyes and shaking his head.

"Ehh? What are you doing?"

Kai opened his eyes to see Tohko and Fukuroi standing in front of him. Tohko had her arms crossed, an eyebrow raised whilst Fukuroi seemed relieved to see him. "Ahh! Kai! There you are! I wanted to congratulate you on your chemistry test. I told all that studying would pay off!" He said, a small smile on his face. Kai stared at the two in shocked silence. Then, his lips twisted into a vicious snarl as he grabbed the desk next to him, lifted it over his head, and threw it at the two. They disappeared as it passed through them, and hit the floor with a loud clatter.

"THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT!?" Kai screamed, grabbing another desk and throwing it away. "THEY'RE JUST A BUNCH OF SUCKERS!" He yelled grabbing yet another desk, and shoving it into the wall.

"BITCHES!"

 _Crash!_

"BASTARDS!"

 _Bang!_

"ALL OF THEM!" The redhead shouted, his face flushed as he stood panting in the mess of overturned desks. Finally, with a scream of pure rage, he fell to his knees and slammed his fists against the floor. "THEY ARE THE DUMBEST IDIOTS I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE!" He yelled at the floor, hunched over. For several seconds, all that could be heard was Kai's heavy breathing. Then, he fell silent and closed his eyes. His fists loosened. His face returned to it's normal shade.

"...and they're all I've got..."

He said it softly, but the words resonated throughout his mind.

 _They're all I've got..._

...

 _Dammit..._

"Fuck..." Kai whispered, clenching his fists. Suddenly, he felt something begin to pool in the corners of his eyes. Almost instinctively, he rubbed his eyes, cursing as he did. "Damn... Dammit! AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" He screamed, once again slamming his fists against the floor, his knuckles beginning to turn purple. "OI! GHOST GIRL! HEY! YUKI!" He yelled towards the ceiling, rising to his feet. Almost immediately, Yuki materialized in front of him. "What is it you require?" She asked.

"Take me back into Heavenly Host!" Kai demanded. Yuki blinked in surprise. "You know... I'm not exactly Byakudan's sweetheart..." Kai began. "I'm either hated or feared, or loved just because of my face... even when people do hang out with me, it's just so they can get on my good side..."

"But those idiots... those fuckers... hang out with me because they don't mind it... heck, I dare say on a good day they would even call me a friend. Some of them might be scared shitless of me... but even so... they see something no one else does... So take me back! They're the only ones that might actually give a shit about me... and I'll go through hell before I lose them!"

Yuki sniffed slightly at the end of Kai's speech. "So?" The redhead asked. Yuki nodded, a large smile on her face. "Hell yes! Hurry up and-!" Kai began.

"Wait..."

"Ehh?" Kai said, frowning at Yuki's interruption. The ghost's smile seemed to have grown even more, so innocent and hopeful. "I think... you might be... yes..." Yuki muttered, more to herself than the person in front of her. "Huh? The hell yo-" Kai began, before suddenly a drowsiness swept over his mind. "Wha... what are you... doing..." he panted, becoming more and more light headed. "Don't worry!" Yuki reassured, as Kai's knees gave way.

"I promise... one day... all of this is going to make sense..."

(Inside Heavenly Host)

"Hello! Yuuya! Mitsuki! Emi! Katayama! You there?" Tohko yelled into the silent halls as she continued on her way. She had returned several minutes before, and began the search for her friends, as well as a possible fourth tongue bag. However, before she ran off, Yuki had given her something. Tohko frowned as she thought back to the conversation.

(Earlier)

"Ehh? What's this?" Tohko asked, looking at the object in her hands with confusion. It was a small statue, seemingly made of marble or something similar. The statue depicted what seemed to be a man in a long clock, with large angle-like wings, and the head of a goat.

"You may encounter two of your friends travelling in a pair in your search..." Yuki explained. "I believe their names were... Fukuroi... and Yamamoto..." Tohko gasped. "So... they're still alive?" She asked hopefully. "They should be, at the present moment..." Yuki said. "Anyways... you must give this statue to them..."

"Huh? Why?" Tohko asked. "They will need it to unlock a part of the school that you currently have no means of reaching. Keep an eye out for a second statue as well... a red one..." With those words, Yuki began to fade away. "W-Wait! I still have questions!" Tohko said. Yuki just smiled at her, and disappeared.

(Present)

The marble statue was now tucked safely away in her skirt pocket as she searched the halls for her friends, any tongue bags, and the mysterious second statue. "Can you see anything Shim-" Tohko began, turning to the side, only to remember that no one was with her. Sighing softly, she continued on her way, eventually coming to a corner. She turned it, looked up, and gasped. A person was leaning against the wall at the end of the rather long corridor. It was dark, making it hard to see, but Tohko would recognize that person anywhere.

"Hey! Yuuya!" She yelled, beginning to run towards her crush, a massive smile forming on her face. "It's me, Tohko! Hey!" She said. However as she got closer, she noticed that something seemed off.

Despite the fact that he should be able to her loud and clear, Yuuya did not react to Tohko's shouting at all. It was as if he were frozen. His bangs cast a shadow over the top half of his face, obscuring it from view, but she got the sense that he was glaring at something, despite the fact that he was just staring at the opposite wall. Then, as Tohko was less than about twenty meters from him, Kizami calmly stepped away from the wall and walked around the corner without saying a single word, or even glancing in Tohko's direction.

"H-Hey! Yuuya! Wait up! Are you alright?" Tohko called as she quickened her pace, eager to catch up.

(?)

 _Kai Shimada was standing in a painting._

 _At least, that's how it appeared to him._

 _His surroundings blurred and mixed into each other like paint, and the whole area seemed to be made of brushstrokes that also resembled wispy clouds._

 _Speaking of the area, the room, from what Kai could figure out, was small, and with dark gray walls, ceiling and floor. The room was completely empty, and there was no door. A light seemed to emit from somewhere, but the redhead couldn't tell where._

 _"Hello?" He said, his voice echoing all around the cloudy, shifty room. "Hello!" He said louder. This time he got a reply._

 _"WHo arE yOu?"_

 _The voice was soft yet firm, soothing yet unsettling, calm and collected, yet dripping with suppressed insanity. It seemed to be coming from all around him, and gave no indication of gender or age. It almost seemed like multiple voices layered on top of each other. "I am Kai Shimada, a sophomore at Byakudan Senior High School," Kai replied._

 _"TeLL me... sHiMADa KaI of BYAkUdaN... Why aRe YOu HErE?"_

 _"A ghost took me... I was supposed to go Heavenly Host Elementary," Kai said._

 _"HEAVeNly hosT elemEntarY ScHOOl... WHY WOuld oNe wISh To gO thERE?"_

 _"I'm going to help my friends. I'm not going to leave them to rot in that hell," Kai replied, clenching his fists._

 _"hEh, FOoliSh HUmAn... deAth CLaiMs aLL mortAls... yoUr fRiendS arE NO difFereNT... nonE Can chaNGE THAt... leaSt of ALL YoU..."_

 _Kai kissed his teeth. "You calling me weak you bastard?! I can save anyone! Any day any how! I don't need you shitting all over me!"_

 _The voice remained silent for a awhile. Then, Kai felt a cold feeling wash over his body, it crept all over him, seeping into his body. Eventually, the cold feelings reached his head. The cold stopped its probing, and after a few seconds, promptly withdrew from Kai's body._

 _"Ha... yOU ARE A amusING one... tHE mOst AMUsinG oNe YEt in fAct..."_

 _"... i kNOw yOU wilL NoT DisApPOinT mE..."_

 _As the voice slowly faded away into silence, something materialized on the floor. Frowning, Kai walked over to it and picked it up._

 _It was a large, leather bound book, light purple in colour, with darker purple highlights. He was currently looking at the back of the book, which was completely blank, so he turned it over to look at the front._

 _There was no title. Instead, in the centre of the cover, was a single, dark purple star._

(Elsewhere)

"Ehh?! What?!" Kai yelled as he sat up sharply, gasping. "What... what the fuck was that..." he asked himself.

 _The hell was that?!_

 _Must be some fucked up dream..._

Shrugging off the nauseating feeling, Kai got to his feet, and examined his surroundings, and was both relieved and annoyed to realize he was in a classroom in Heavenly Host. "Alright Medusa... you've been pretty tough so far..." Kai said, a smirk forming on his face. "But Perseus has arrived... and he's ain't going easy on ya..." With that, Kai leapt towards the door, and slid it open.

Almost immediately, a cold chill ran down his spine. In Heavenly Host, this was normal. But this felt like someone was poring ice cold water down his back. Suddenly, Kai felt as if he was seeing everything for the first time, in a more focused way. His vision seemed sharper, and yet darker at the same time. He became more aware of the things around him. Even the atmosphere seemed heavier. Kai stood there in the doorway, blinking rapidly. Then, with a low growl, he shrugged off the feeling and sprinted off into Heavenly Host.


	21. CHAPTER 5 (4)

CHAPTER 5 (4)

"Hmmm... Mit...suki..."

Fukuroi's eyes slowly slid open as his consciousness returned. Letting out a groan, he pushed himself up, his vision still hazy, though his glasses were thankfully still on his face and fully intact. As his sight recovered, he noticed that someone was lying underneath him, knocked completely out by the looks of things. As his vision adjusted, he let out a gasp.

"Mitsuki!" Fukuroi immediately got to his feet, when a sudden, sharp pain struck him at the back of his head. "Tch!" He muttered, ignoring it as he bent down next to his unconscious friend. "Mitsuki! Come on! Wake up!" He said, shaking the girl. Eventually, her eyes fluttered open, as she turned her head towards the boy. "Fukuroi..." she whispered, seemingly in a daze. "Thank god..." Fukuroi sighed in relief. "Are you... okay..." Mitsuki asked, sitting up. "That plank was pretty big..."

"Huh?" Fukuroi said. "You protected me from the falling planks... one hit you in the head," Mitsuki explained. That explained the sharp pain in his head. "Ahh... I see..."

 _FFZZZZZTTT!_

Suddenly, the sound of static cut through the air out of the blue. "Huh?!" Fukuroi said, quickly getting to his feet. "Look! The T.V!" Mitsuki gasped. Fukuroi turned to face the television, the screen of which was showing nothing but static. Then, the screen suddenly went dark, and with a grinding sound coming from the cassette player, a video began playing.

 _"Wow! This place is totally cool!" Shougo Taguchi said, gazing at his surroundings in awe, presumably the one holding the camera. "To think a place like this... Heavenly Host Elementary School... actually exists..." Kou Kibiki muttered, barely containing his excitement. "This could finally give me the credit I deserve!"_

 _"Hey, check this out!" Taguchi yelled as the camera zoomed in on a piece of paper lying on the floor. "Please... kill... me... Whoa! Pretty creepy stuff!" The cameraman gleefully said. "Just be sure to keep your wits Taguchi," Kibiki advised. "We still don't have a lot of info on this place." Taguchi though, wasn't fazed in the slightest. "Sure thing boss!" He replied casually. "Say, wasn't Naho supposed to come? She's gonna be super pissed!"_

 _"Hmph... it was necessary to leave her..." Kibiki sighed. "I just don't want to see her get hurt..." Taguchi grunted in response, and the two of them continued in silence for awhile. Then, they stopped moving, and a body lying on the floor appeared, though the camera's quality wasn't high enough to show any specific injuries._

 _"Is... Is that real deal..." Taguchi asked, his voice trembling. Kibiki turned towards the camera, his face white. "It appears so..." he confirmed. "This... This is bad!" Taguchi yelled, the camera in his hands shaking. "We... we need to get out of here!" Kibiki nodded in response. "Yes... do you remember the escape method we discussed earlier?" He asked. "Yeah, just take out-" Taguchi began, before suddenly falling silent. "Hmm? Taguchi?" Kibiki asked, frowning at his companion._

 _"Ahhh! I hear voices!" Taguchi suddenly screamed. "W-What?!" Kibiki said as he stepped back. "Don't you hear them?! They're children!" Taguchi continued, the camera swerving from left to right. "What are you talking about?! I don't hear anything!" Kibiki said. "AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Taguchi then suddenly let out a shrill scream, dropped the camera, and ran off._

 _"T-Taguchi! WAIT!" Kibiki yelled, unfortunately to no avail. "Tch... dammit..." the writer muttered, before bending over and picking up the camera. "At least this is alright... huh? The tapes almost full?" Kibiki noticed. "Ahh... where did I put those spare tapes?"_

The screen then suddenly switched off as the tape presumably finished. "So it seems that Kibiki willingly came here," Fukuroi said, his brow furrowed. "Huh. Don't know why he'd do that," Mitsuki replied, before remembering something. "Wait! Didn't he mention something about a way out?" Fukuroi gasped. "Yes! And he was looking for a spare tape as well. That means there is probably a second tape, which might explain this escape method!" He deducted. "Then, we can finally get out!" Mitsuki declared, a big smile forming. "Yes... but first," Fukuroi said as he walked over to the cassette player and pressed eject. To his surprise, the tape popped out and landed into his waiting hand. "Well? What are we waiting for?!" Mitsuki asked. "Let's go find that other tape!" Fukuroi nodded in agreement. "Of course!" He said. At that Mitsuki dashed out the door, a determined look on her face. "E-Ehh?! Mitsuki! Wait!" Fukuroi yelled as he swiftly followed her.

(Elsewhere)

Although she was sure Morishige had stopped pursuing her, Emi forced herself to run a few more minutes before finally falling to her knees, panting heavily. "Ahhh... Ahhh... why... wha... Ahhh..." she groaned, catching her breath. Once she was no longer on the verge of passing out, she crawled over to the nearest wall and lent her back against it, pulling her legs up to her chest.

"Why hasn't anyone shown up..." Emi asked, tears already welling up in her eyes. She could almost hear Tohko fawning over Kizami, Mitsuki ordering Fukuroi around, Kurosaki bragging about his latest sporting achievement, Katayama and Ohkawa obsessing over their games, and Kai, singing one of those English songs under his breath again...

 _ **"...loved her fancy underwear..."**_

"Huh?!" Emi gasped as she sat up. There was a voice echoing throughout the halls, doing something similar to singing, but more akin to a type of music Kai had once blasted from his phone... wrapping?

 _ **"...Sit behind her every year..."**_

 _ **"...Waiting for the chance to get... to tell her I'm the one she should be with..."**_

Emi could barely hear the person (who she noticed was "wrapping" in English), but there was something awfully familiar about his voice. Straining her ears, she get a better listen.

 _ **"...She's popular wit all the guys... so innocent in my eyes..."**_

 _ **"...I can see her in my life... she woulda had the world if she were mine..."**_

Emi gasped. _Shimada!_ She thought. She could clearly hear the redhead's voice now, and never before had she been so happy to be able to do that. Closing her eyes, she tried to figure out where the voice was coming from.

 _ **"...But, see she had other plans, I couldn't understand... Her and her stupid friends... Varsity's biggest fans..."**_

For the first time in what felt like ages, Emi Urabe smiled, tears falling at the thought of finally seeing one of her friends. _Shimada! I'm coming!_ She thought as she got up and ran towards Kai's voice.

(Elsewhere)

 _ **"She had it all figured ouuuuuuut! When she left me with a broken heart..."**_

 _ **"Fucked around and turned me dooooooown! Cause she didn't think I could play the part..."**_

Kai briefly paused in the middle of the chorus to wet his lips. He'd been wondering around for several minutes, and decided to sing a song in order to avoid insanity. Closing his eyes, he resumed the song, which happened to be one of his favourites.

 _ **"But now the prooooom queen! The prooooom queen!"**_

 _ **"Is cryin', sittin' outside of my door..."**_

 _ **"See you never know hooooow..."**_

 _ **"How everything could turn around..."**_

The guitars and drums played in his head as Kai allowed a small smile to appear on his lips. Eyes still closed, he took a breath, and continued on.

 _ **"They loved her fancy underwe-"**_

"SHIMADA!"

Kai instantly snapped his eyes open, just in time to see a white and green blur flying towards him. The next moment, the blur slammed into him, sending him stumbling several steps back. He then became aware that he was now holding something warms and squishy in his arms, which appeared to be sobbing. "O-Oi! What's the big ide-!" Kai began, before he recognised the person clinging to his body. "Urabe?" He asked, half expecting it to be a trick. The person raised their head, revealing themselves to indeed be Emi. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and her face was flushed, but she paid didn't seem to notice as she threw her arms around the rehead's neck and buried her face in the nook of his neck. "I was so scared I wouldn't see any of you guys again!" She wailed as Kai awkwardly rubbed her back. Eventually, Emi seemed to realize exactly what she was doing and who she was doing it to, and suddenly slept back.

"Ahhh! U-Uhh... sorry..." She mumbled, her face even more red, though she seemed to have stopped crying. "Ehh... it's cool..." Kai muttered, brushing some tears of his neck before facing Emi and giving her a grin. "But forget about that. Good to see ya." Emi seemed shocked to see such a genuine smile coming from Kai. Oddly, this made her turn an even darker shade of red. "Huh? What's up with you?" Kai asked. "N-Nothing!" Emi hastily replied, waving her arms in front of her face. Kai raised an eyebrow, but let the topic slid.

"Oooookay... so, you seen any of the others in here?" Kai asked. Emi's look became crestfallen as she shook her head. "Hmph. I was with Kirisaki awhile ago, but we... got separated," Kai said, appearing slightly uncomfortable. "Well, if we could find each other, than means that the others can't be THAT far away, right?" Emi asked, a slightly anxious smile on her face. "Course not!" Kai reassured. "Now come on! The sooner we find the others, the sooner we get out of this hell hole!" Emi nodded, her smile becoming more relaxed. "Yeah, let's go!" She said, as the two walked down the hall, searching for their friends.

(Elsewhere)

"Yuu... Yuuya... wait..." Tohko panted as she sprinted as fast as she could after Kizami. She'd been chasing him around for what felt like ages, yelling his name, but Yuuya didn't slow down or turn to face her. Despite the fact that he was walking, the boy somehow managed to stay ahead of her. Finally, Yuuya stopped, paused, and entered a door next to him, leaving the door open. "Hey! Yuuya!" Tohko said as she slowed down and followed him in.

The room was almost exactly like every other room in the school, so Tohko didn't bother looking around. Instead, her gaze focused squarely on the young man leaning on the teachers desk. Kizami's eyes were still being covered by his bangs as he stared wordlessly at the floor, but Tohko still got the sense that he was glaring at something. "Uhh... Yuuya?" She asked, stepping forward. For a several seconds, Yuuya didn't acknowledge the fact that she'd spoken, so Tohko was about speak again, when Kizami opened his mouth.

"It's funny... isn't it..." he said. His voice was soft, like he was reminiscing about something from the far past. "This is the only place where I'm free to do as I wish... where there are no norms... no rules... nobody to tell me what I'm going to do... and yet... this place is also where I'm going to die," Yuuya finished, his mouth a tight line across his face. "E-Ehh? What are you talking about Yuuya?" Tohko demanded, stepping closer. "Nobody's going to die! Least of all you..." Kizami let out a cold, harsh chuckle.

"Ha! You're rather optimistic ain't you..." he said, a dead smirk on his lips. "But there is a very fine line between optimism and simple ignorance." Tohko blinked in surprise. "Yuuya... look, come on. We need to find our friends and leave this horrible place." Kizami's smirk instantly vanished, replaced with a icy grimace. "Those idiotic fools? They are not my friends..." he muttered. "W-What?" Tohko asked, not quite possessing what she was hearing. "Y-You're talking nonsense! Of course they're your friends! If only you knew how much everyone looked up to you!"

Yuuya scoffed. "You're an idiot, Kirisaki... Those filthy pigs do not care for me at all. That's fact." Tohko didn't know what to say to such words. There was no hesitation in his voice. He believed what he was saying 100%. "Well..." Tohko began. "I care for you..."

For several seconds, Kizami didn't move. Then, he suddenly pushed himself away from the desk, tilted his head up, and turned to face Tohko, finally revealing his eyes. When she saw them, Tohko let out a shriek.

Yuuya's irises were completely red.

His crimson eyes pulsed in the dark lighting of the room, cutting through the shadows and staring straight into Tohko's soul. The red glow shifted and swam around Yuuya's pitch black pupils, which held nothing but hate, despair, and a sick, twisted form of amusement. Tohko shivered as she stared into those devil's eyes, as she couldn't help but find their glare familiar.

 _Why is this..._

 _Why do I feel..._

 _Like I'm looking at Sachiko..._

"So, you say you care for me Kirisaki?" Kizami asked. A disgusting, warped grin stretched across his formerly handsome face, which now looking like something out of a nightmare. "Well? Answer me!" He demanded. Tohko gulped, before nodded. "I want to hear you say it..." Yuuya hissed, his red gaze borrowing into her heart. "I... I care about you... so much..." Tohko replied, trying to sound strong and collected, but just coming across as even more nervous. Kizami's dark smile grew even wider as he stepped towards her.

 _"P̻̙̣͔̺R͕͇̥̯̩͍͇O̤̦͚̜͈̭͟V͓̬͕̤̀E ͕̭̞́I҉̣͚̗͍̗T̴̳̜̯̝̣̲͍ ̨͈̯̭͖̘ͅT̵̙͔̞O̯̲̩̥͕͚ ͈M͏͉̹̙̬̝͎E.͇͈͎̰.̘̹̥͔̠̗͜.̙̝̻͘.͉̣͚̜͓̕"_

* * *

 _Song Kai sings is **Prom Queen, Lil Wayne**_


	22. CHAPTER 5 (5)

CHAPTER 5 (5)

"Prove that you care about me as much as you claim Kirisaki," Yuuya said as he began walking towards Tohko, his red eyes glimmering with a dark glee. "Wha.. What do you mean?" Tohko asked, slowly backing away towards the door. Yuuya's eyes narrowed. "You know exactly what I mean..." he hissed. Suddenly, the young man jumped towards Tohko in a single leap, somehow clearing the several meters between them in that one jump, and landed on his feet less than a foot away from his classmate. Before Tohko could react, Kizami rushed towards her and slammed his palm against her chest.

"Ghh!" Tohko cried as she practically flew backwards before crashing into the closed door. Kizami had always been strong, but now his strength bordered on superhuman. Before the girl could do anything, Yuuya was right in front of her, his arm pressed against her chest, staring at her eyes, a look of almost childlike excitement on his face.

"Show me!" He yelled, an insane grin on his face. "Show me who Tohko Kirisaki is!" Kizami demanded as he stared deeply into Tohko's eyes. "W-W-What?!" Tohko said, still trying to process what was going on. "Drop your walls, and show me your true self..." Yuuya whispered. "I... I don't know what you-!" Tohko began. "Be quiet!" The twisted man interrupted. "Just show me... Show me who you are!"

For a few seconds, the two didn't move. Kizami just stared wordlessly into Tohko's large, frightened eyes, which just stared back at him. Finally, Kizami let go of Tohko and stepped back. The dissatisfaction on his face was clear. "I see..." he muttered, his eager grin gone, replaced with an almost furious scowl, despite the calm tone in his voice. "I'd hoped you'd be different, but..." Yuuya said, his crimson eyes downcast. Gulping, Tohko looked down at the door handle. As if in response, Yuuya's gaze immediately rose to meet Tohko's.

"No matter!" He said, his sinister smirk back. "There is still a way form me to converse with your true self." Tohko was shaking by this point. "W-What are you saying... Yuuya..." she asked nervously. Kizami grinned, his eyes brightening in hue, yet darkening in colour as he held out his hand.

"Would you die for me, Kirisaki?"

That was all Tohko needed. Grabbing the handle, she slid the door open and dashed out into the corridor. "Hahaha! AHAHAHA!" Kizami cackled as he began striding after her. "Yes! Run Kirisaki! Show me your fear! SHOW ME YOUR LIGHT!" He screamed after the terrified, panting girl.

(Elsewhere)

"This is getting real boring, real fast..." Kai grumbled as he and Emi trudged through Heavenly Host. "K-Keep up your spirits Shimada!" Emi said, who still seemed slightly nervous about being in such close proximity to Kai Shimada, something that rather amused the latter. "I'm sure we'll find someone we know soon!" Kai raised his eyebrow. "Weren't you all scared and hopeless when I found ya?" He asked. "I-I guess..." Emi replied, her face flushed. "Ehh, whatever," Kai said, turning his attention back to hall.

Again, he'd noticed something strange about his vision. The entire school seemed even darker than it usually was, which should have rendered him almost blind. Instead, his sight seemed almost magnified, picking up tiny details that he would never have caught before. His vision also seemed had an very slight purple tint, as if he was looking through coloured glasses. This however, was far from the most striking new ability Kai had gained.

The first time he'd seen a ghost drift towards him, he'd completely flipped out. But when he looked over at Emi, he saw that she was looking at him like he'd just lost his mind. It took him a little while to figure out that he was the only one who could see the ghost. Every once in awhile, a random blue or red spirit would float pass them, muttering under their breath or just saying nothing. Their gaze would always pass over Emi like she was nothing, but when they locked eyes with him, they stopped in their tracks, stared at him for a few seconds in what was either surprise, fear, or something akin to curiosity. One or two had followed him for awhile, before drifting off.

 _What the hell is going on..._

 _Am... Am I losing it?_

 _No, I can't be making this shit up... but then..._

 _That dream I had..._

 _What was it..._

As if in response to his thoughts, a sudden pain struck Kai's head. "GHLK!" The redhead gasped as he grabbed his head and fell to his knees. It felt as if someone was dragging a rusty knife against his scalp. He didn't even notice Emi shaking him and asking him if he was alright as his vision went white. The boy's mind was in such pain that he barely noticed the images flashing inside his head.

 _"I was informed that you could show me around the school building," the boy said. Kai looked up from his desk at the person before standing next to him. He was extremely short, even shorter than Kirisaki, and had piercing blue eyes with long cyan hair. He wasn't wearing the blazer, just the white shirt, which was half unbuttoned, revealing a dark gray vest, and had a black parka over that, unzipped and with the hood down._

 _Sitting up in his chair, Kai frowned at the boy. There was a strange vibe coming from his, something about his eyes, his something cocky smirk that told him this guy was up to something. And if he squinted, he could almost make out a faint, dark red aura coming from him._

 _"Hmmm? Ain't you the new kid from earlier?" Kai asked, vaguely remembering the teacher introducing him. The boy's smirk grew even wider. "Yep. Glade to see you were listening." There was something about the boy, something that seemed unnervingly familiar, but whatever it was, Kai couldn't but his finger on it._

 _"How about we start with introductions?" The boy said. "Huh? Oh, yeah." Kai said. "The name's Shimada Kai. You?" The boy's grin grew yet again._

 _"My name is Kiriya. Kiriya Mi..."_

"GHHHH!" Kai yelled as he suddenly leapt to his feet. "Ahhh!" Emi said as she fell back and landed on the floor. "What... wha... what was..." Kai gasped, his eyes scanning his surroundings as of expecting something to leap out of the darkness and attack him. "Shi... Shimada?" Emi asked hesitantly as she got to her feet. "Are you... alright..." Kai turned and looked at Emi as if he'd just remembered she was there. For awhile, he just stared at her in silence, before taking a shaky breath and facing forward. "I'm... I'm fine..." he said, his face pale and clammy as he started walking. "Huh?! Wait! Shimada!" Emi yelled as she jogged after the young man, who looked as if he was seeing stars.

More specifically, purple stars.

(Elsewhere)

She could feel him.

She could feel the power the boy emitted. It was nothing compared to her own...

But still...

Sachiko Shinozaki stood in almost complete darkness. The only thing aside from her that could be seen was the dirt ground, though heavy breathing could be heard from somewhere in the dark. The girl in the red dress continued to stand in silence, her face blank. After what seemed like an eternity, Sachiko's lips moved, and she spoke in a barely audible whisper.

 _"Kill him..._

A low groan echoed from were the breathing was coming from, followed by several stomping footsteps, which eventually subsided, leaving just a cold, dead, and somewhat intrigued ghost.


	23. CHAPTER 5 (6)

CHAPTER 5 (6)

"Hahaha! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The demented laughter of Yuuya Kizami followed Tohko as she ran through the halls, running faster than she'd probably run in her life. Stealing a quick, tear-filled glance over her shoulder, she was terrified to see Yuuya in pursuit, power-walking after her at a shockingly fast pace. Black wisps of what seemed to be smoke were pouring from his pours, trailing after him like an after image. His blood red eyes shone in the dim lighting, and his lips were curved up into an insane, sadistic grin.

"Hehehehe! Come on Kirisaki! Let's get to know each other huh?! Oi!" He screamed after the fleeing girl. Struggling to maintain her composure, Tohko focused all her efforts on just running as fast as she could for as long as she could, desperately trying to ignore Kizami as he continued to pursue her, grinning as he inched ever closer to his classmate.

(Elsewhere)

"Shimada! Wait!" Emi yelled as she jogged after Kai. The young man walked as if he were in a daze, his eyes wide, his face as pale as death as he shuffled through the halls. Everywhere he looked, he saw shimmering purple stars, etched into the walls and floors. It wasn't until Emi caught up to him and grabbed his shoulder that he seemed to snap out of his trance. "What?" He said coldly as he turned towards his classmate.

"Wha... What... What happened back there?!" Emi panted. "Nothing..." Kai shrugged as he began to turn back around. "But... You looked like you were in real pain!" Emi said. "Nothing happened..." the redhead mumbled as he began walking again. "But you can't just walk away without an explanation! I... I could help you!" Emi insisted, reaching forward and grabbing his shoulder. Kai turn his head towards her and glared. "And why the fuck would you do that?" He asked. "Because... Because you're..." Emi stammered, before taking a breath and finishing her sentence. "Because you're my friend!"

Kai glared at her for a few more seconds, before letting out a sigh and closing his eyes. When he opened them again, the anger seemed to have vanished, and his snarl was replaced with a weary smile. "Yeah. Friends forever and all that crap. That's what the charm was about, right?" He said as he turned fully towards her. Emi seemed surprised at the sudden shift in personality, but quickly returned Kai's smile with one of her own. "So, what's wrong with you?" She asked.

Kai kissed his teeth in irritation, but, after a few seconds thought, gave a firm nod, and looked Emi in the eyes.

"Urabe, I-"

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!"

"Ahhh!" Emi shrieked at the sudden wild scream. "W-What is was that?!" She asked, looking around frantically. "Tch... fuck!" Kai cursed, recognizing the voice as he turned around to face behind him, where loud, heavy footsteps where echoing from. "Urabe, stay to the side," he ordered. "Huh? What are you doing?" The bespectacled girl asked. "Just do it!" Kai said, more firmly. Emi gulped, before stepping away from Kai and pressing her back against the wall. Kai then turned his attention back to the hall, where the footsteps were still stomping towards him. "Looks like we meet again..." Kai began, a slight grin on his face.

"... Yoshikazu..."

Sure enough, the massive frame of Yoshikazu Yanagihori came into view, wielding his hammer as always. However, one thing Kai noticed, much to his amusement, was that Yoshikazu's nose was sagging in, with the cartilage required to support it most likely lodged in his brain.

 _Shit... Kizami can really pack a God damn punch..._

"So, you've come crawling back to get your ass handed again, 'ave ya?!" Kai jeered, a cocky smirk plastered on his face. "What are you doing Shimada?! Y-You'll get him angry!" Emi half whispered, half screamed, still pressed against the wall. Sure enough, Yoshikazu slammed his hammer against the floor in rage. "AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The behemoth yelled in fury. It took a step forward, as if about to charge at Kai.

Then stopped.

Suddenly, the anger radiating from Yoshikazu immediately died, and, despite his limited facial expression, one could tell that he was certainly surprised. He stared at Kai with an unfittingly dumbstruck expression, and almost looked as if he was rethinking his attack. "Ehh? What's wrong?" Kai said. "Don't tell me you've lost your fucking nerve!"

Hearing Kai's taunt seemed to immediately destroy any sense of surprise or caution in Yoshikazu, who let out a roar and dashed towards the redhead, hammer raised about his head. Kai's eyes widened. "Shit! Guy's fast!" He exclaimed as he jumped back just as the hammer slammed down on the spot he was previously standing on. "Tch... that was close..." Kai muttered as he landed on his feet. He looked up, and was confused to see that Yoshikazu was now considerably further away than he should be. Kai's eyes widened in realization.

He had just cleared about ten feet in a single jump.

Backwards.

"Shi... Shimada?" Emi gasped, still watching from the side, shock and disbelief on her face. Yoshikazu looked at Kai, then the spot where his hammer was, grunting in confusion. Standing upright, Kai looked down at his hands. Something had happened to him. Something strange, otherworldly, insane...

 _And fucking awesome!_

Grinning like a madman, Kai raised his gaze to meet Yoshikazu, who had clearly had enough of thinking and was charged at Kai. "OOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRR!" The beast yelled as he raised his hammer above his head for another strike. However, just as Yoshikazu began lowering the hammer, Kai calmly but swiftly sidestepped the blow. As the hammer once again slammed into the floor, the redhead pulled back his fist and powered it into Yoshikazu's forehead with all the strength he could muster.

Yoshikazu's head snapped back faster than anyone present could process. "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" He screamed in pain as he stumbled back several steps. "Ahahaha! Fuck yeah bitch!" Kai yelled as he lifted his foot and slammed it into Yoshikazu's chest. To Kai's surprise and joy, the behemoth topped backwards and crashed onto the floor, like a mighty tree being cut down, and lay there, groaning softly.

"Ahahaha! This is the fucking shit boy!" Kai exclaimed as he punched the air in an almost childish display of excitement. "Shi...Shimada..." Emi stammered, her eyes wide with surprise as she looked at the floored ghost. "Oh yeah! Bet you're wondering what just happened!" Kai said. "Lemme tell ya something...

"Ahhhhh... AAAAAGGGGGGHHHH!"

"... right after I deal with this guy!" Kai finished as he turned back towards Yoshikazu, who was getting back on his feet. By now, Sachiko's servant seemed to have had enough, and was looking at Kai with a mixture of anger and fear. It was apparent that he couldn't win against this strange, powerful boy. It was only now that Yoshikazu seemed to notice that there was a second person behind him. Turning around, he saw Emi several feet away, who, noticing Yoshikazu now looking at her, let out a small gasp of fear.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Yoshikazu screamed as he charged towards Emi. "AHHH! NOO!" Emi cried, running away at full speed. "Fuck!" Kai yelled, dashing after Yoshikazu. Like all other things, Kai's speed had increased dramatically, and he quickly caught up with Yoshikazu. Who, unfortunately, was also rather quick.

 _WHACK!_

"GAH!"

Kai barely had time to notice Yoshikazu turning around mid-dash and his hammer slamming into his shoulder before he practically flew into the wall face first. The redhead was already unconscious by the time he hit the floor. "SHIMADA!" Emi cried, looking behind her, only to see Yoshikazu charging towards her like a bull. Tears in her eyes, she continued running, but, as luck would have it, tripped over a loose floorboard.

"Ahhh!" She yelled as she hit the ground. She started to rise to her feet, but was immediately forced back down as Yoshikazu's foot slammed into her back. "AHHH!" Tilting her head, Emi watched in horror as the hulking behemoth raised his hammer, his red eyes glimmering with anger.

 _WHACK!_

(Later)

"Uhhhh... fucking... dammit..." Kai groaned. His head hurt like it was being slammed against hard iron. Sitting up and opening his eyes, he was both relieved and disappointed to see he was still in Heavenly Host. Rubbing his head, he was surprised to see that, other than a particular painful bump and a sore shoulder, he was relatively unharmed. As unharmed as someone who was thrown head first into a wall could be, but unharmed nonetheless.

 _SQUISH!_

 _SQUISH!_

"Ehh...?" He mumbled in confusion as he slowly got to his feet. A strange sound was coming from around the corner, like someone was hitting raw meat. His vision rather hazy, Kai staggered forward, more exhausted than seriously hurt. After a few seconds of drunken-esq walking, he turned the corner, noticing a large, bulky figure several dozen feet away from him. He opened his mouth to call out to the figure, but then his vision cleared, and whatever he was going to say died in this throat.

It was Yoshikazu. The former teacher was pounding his sledge hammer over and over again on a completely motionless body. The uniform the body wore was heavily coated in blood, but still easily recognizable as a Byakudan female uniform. And a few feet behind Yoshikazu, lay a discarded pair of pink glasses.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Oooorrrr...?" Yoshikazu grunted in confusion at the sudden shriek. Lowering his hammer, he turned around, and had just enough time to see a red blur charging at him before he was literally sent flying several meters back. "Ghhhhhhhh..." The ghost moaned as he landed heavily on his back. His hammer still in his hand, Yoshikazu got to his feet, only to get a powerful uppercut to the chin that made him stumble backwards. "AAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHH!" Yoshikazu screamed in pain, before regaining his balance and seeing his attacker.

Kai stood before his opponent, hunched over slightly as he breathed heavily, his breath visible. His fists were curled into tight balls, and his teeth were making noises as he ground them in fury.

And his eyes...

Originally a a pale cyan, Kai's irises were now a dark purple. The shocking colour swam around his pupils as his glare cut straight through Yoshikazu. They were like the eyes of a demon who was out for blood.

"You... YOU FUCKING BITCH!" Kai screamed in a strangled, hate filled voice and he ran at Yoshikazu, arm drawn back before he punched the ghost's forehead. And audible crack echoed throughout the hall as Yoshikazu's head snapped back impossibly far. The zombie-like entity took a few steps back, before collapsing on the floor and lying there motionless.

Yoshikazu now taken care of, Kai turned around. There, lying before him, was the corpse that Yoshikazu had been desecrating. Kai might have been able to convince himself it wasn't who he thought it was, were it not for the name tag lying in clear sight next to it.

EMI URABE

BYAKUDAN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

CLASS 2-4

(Several months ago)

"Fuck this shit..." Kai mumbled, his forehead against his desk. "C-Come on Shimada!" Emi encouraged, sitting next to him, her desk pushed right up against his, something she seemed all to conscious of. "You can't just sweep your homework under the rug!" Raising his head, Kai turned and glared at her.

"How the hell is Maths gonna help me out? The square root of twenty fucking five is never gonna be useful to me," he said. Emi gulped slightly, before giving her answer. "W-Well... uhh... you wanna have your own hairdressing place one day right?" Kai raised his eyebrow. "So?"

"Well... what if you... need to work out the amount of a group of people owes you, or work out change, or how much you've earned in a..." Emi explained. However, she nervously trailed off when she noticed Kai's deadpan expression. "Those are just... examples..." she whispered, her face red. Kai just rolled his eyes.

 _How the fuck to Fukuroi talk me into this after school tuition crap..._

"Ehh... whatever, let's just get this shit done," Kai said, picking up his pen and turning his attention to his paper. "G-Great!" Emi replied, a smile on her face, though she was still bright red. "So, using multiplication and division with decimals is a little bit different because of the addition of..."

As Emi continued talking, Kai gave a her a glance out of the corner of his eyes. When he thought about it, it was surprising that people as different as them had managed to become "friends". A year ago, Kai had dismissed her as just another nerd in this stuck up school. Yet several months later, he found that she was actually rather amusing to be around, mostly because of how flustered she seemed to get around him.

A small smirk crossed Kai's lips before he turned his attention back to his paper.

(Present)

"AAHHHHH! NOOO!"

"HAHAHAHA! RUN, RABBIT RUN!"

Kai opened his eyes. He was currently kneeling next to Emi's corpse with his head bowed and his arms hanging limp by his sides. Emi's name tag was in his right hand. He must have spaced out at some point. Getting to his feet, Kai looked in the direction he heard the voices, recognizing them instantly.

"Kirisaki... Kizami..." he muttered, his face a blank slate. Tightly gripping Emi's name tag, Kai closed his eyes, struggling to keep tears out of his eyes. "Nobody else... Nobody else..."

"Nobody else is going to fucking die!"

With that, Kai opened his eyes and sprinted forward, his teeth bared in a ferocious snarl as he replayed those words over and over again in his head.

(Elsewhere)

"So, Kirisaki, are you ready to show me your light?" Yuuya asked, grinning wildly as he approached Tohko, her back pressed up against the dead end as she trembled in terror. "Please Yuuya... stop this..." she begged. Kizami just scoffed. "Heh! Don't say my fucking name you bitch..." his elated expression contrasting with his harsh words as he closed in on her, slowly raising his fist as he did so. Whimpering, Tohko closed her eyes and turned her head away, tears streaming down her cheeks as she tried to ignore her former crush's crackles.

"Hehehe... Hahaha! AHAHAHA-"

"OI! KIZAMI!"

"-ehh?"

Frowning, Yuuya turned around, just as a fist appeared out of nowhere and landed right between his eyes. "GHHH!" He grunted as he slammed into the wall next to Tohko, before sliding down and landed on the floor. "Ahhh!" Tohko yelled, jumping out of her skin. Looking at the spot were Yuuya was, she was shocked to see Kai standing there, who gave her an exhausted, yet also somewhat sheepish smile. "Heh... looks like I got her just in ti-ehh?!" He began, before Tohko launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around him.

"Uhhhh... Kirisaki?" Kai asked. Tohko didn't say anything for a few seconds, then backed away slightly, a bright, sincere smile on her face. "Good to see you... Shimada..." she greeted. Kai smirked in return.

"How sweet..."

Remembering the third person with them, the two looked back at the wall to see Kizami on his feet with nothing except a massive grin and a slight bruise between his eyes. "It's been a little while, hasn't it Shimada?" He said, taking a step forward. Kai's eyes widened as he looked Kizami up and down. There was an incredibly powerful atmosphere around the taller boy, the air was cold, and if Kai focused, he could see a bright crimson aura around him. Yuuya seemed to have also noticed something interesting about Kai, having stopped walking and was looking at him with a look of surprise and amusement.

"Well, looks like something... interesting has happened..." he said, his grin never faltering. Kai motioned for Tohko to move behind him (something she did all too eagerly) as he gave a smirk of his own. "Care to explain what you're doing chasing girls around, Kizami?" He asked.

"HA! Like you could ever understand my reasons! All the more reason to end you right here..." Kizami chuckled. "Heh. Ya caught me in a bad mood Kizami..." Kai warned. "I've been through some shit, and I really need a punching bag.

For a time, the two just stood there, staring at each other, with Tohko standing several meters away, watching nervously. Then, as if suddenly having been turned on with a switch, the two boys dashed towards each other, Kai's eyes glimmering a cold, dark purple, and Yuuya's a bright, fiery crimson as they both yelled out one final sentence before meeting in a fearsome clash.

 _"NOW IT'S REALLY SHOWTIME!"_

A/N

Apologies for the slow updates, but hopefully I made up for it with this longer chapter. Anyways, take it away Announcer!

 _Yuuya Kizami vs Kai Shimada round 2! Last time Yuuya managed to snare a victory, but will Kai gain the upper hand with his new power?! Find out next time on A Tale From Byakudan High!_

A/N


	24. CHAPTER 5 (7)

CHAPTER 5 (7)

 _Bash!Bash!_

"GHH!"

In an almost identical recreation of their first fight, both Kai and Yuuya's fists slammed into the others faces with blinding force. Letting out a shared grunt, the two stumbled back several steps, both with identical bruises beginning to form. Regaining his balance quicker than his rival, Kizami dashed towards Kai with the speed of an Olympic athlete, his lips in a vicious snarl as he pulled his fist back. However, Kai had by now regained his footing, and just barely jumped out of the way. Kizami continued running for a few seconds before screeching to a halt. "Tch..." he muttered as he turned around, only for his eyes to widen as a fist was driven into his gut.

"Aaaaaahhhhh..." he groaned as he doubled over, Kai standing over him, a grin on his face as his eyes pulsed with a dark purple colour. "Don't think I'll do down as easy as last time, Kizami!" He declared triumphantly as he thrusted his right arm forward in a punch. "I've picked up some new tricks!"

 _Catch!_

"Ehh?!" Kai yelled in surprise as Kizami caught his fist with his hand. The taller boy then rose to his full height, an arrogant smirk on his face. "You're not the only one to receive certain... upgrades..." Yuuya said as he suddenly pulled Kai in, before slamming his forehead against Kai's.

"ARGH!" Kai shouted as he took several steps back, clutching his forehead. When he lowered his hands, the redhead's expression held one of pure rage. "Ahhh... you little fucktard! I'll rip you apart and feed what's left to fucking Cerberus!" He screamed as he run towards Kizami, who grinned before sprinting towards his opponent as well.

Tohko, who was watching all this unfold from several dozen meters away down the hall, could barely tell what was going on. It seemed that in the time span it took for her brain to process one move made, another one had been made by both. "What... What is this..." she muttered in disbelief as she observed the brutal battle before her.

"Your aura is certainly unique Shimada..." Yuuya observed as he narrowly dodged a punch from Kai, before lifting his foot and performing a round house kick. "Heh! Could say the same about you!" Kai replied, leaping back to avoid the attack. "That aura is more red than some of the ghosts I've seen!" Kizami grinned darkly.

"HA! What did you expect?! I am the master of the Darkening!" He declared as he threw himself at Kai, who leapt to the side as Kizami landed heavily where Kai had been. _The Darkening... A few of the victims notes mentioned that..._ Kai thought, before ducking as Kizami's fist slammed into the wall above his head. Grimacing, Kai quickly jumped up, the top of his head hitting Yuuya's chin hard.

"Ehhk?!" Yuuya grunted as he stumbled back, clutching his chin. "You ain't master of shit Kizami! I'm gonna beat you so bad you'll be begging for me to end you!" Kai shouted. Kizami released his chin, spat out something red, and fixed Kai with the same arrogant smirk he had before. The redhead ground his teeth together in sheer anger as he threw himself at Kizami, throwing punch after punch at his rival, who was now doing nothing but dodging, which only infuriated Kai even more. "AAAAHHHHHHHH JUST SIT STILL AND GET FUCKED!" He screamed.

"Your eyes hold more than mere power though..." Yuuya said, casually avoiding Kai's blows. "I see emotions... anger... grief... guilt... You have eyes that have just witnessed death..." he noted. "It must have been one of our friends? Tell me, who was it? Fukuroi? Yamamoto? Or perhaps Urabe?" Kai's eyes shrank dangerously upon hearing Emi's name as he continued his assault, something that Kizami took notice of.

"Heh! It was Urabe wasn't it?! Tell me! Did she die screaming? Or was it over quickly...?" The boy asked, vaguely registering Tohko's yell of "W-WHAT?!" But Kai didn't notice. All he could think of was how much he hated Kizami right now. He had to make him suffer. He had to cause him nothing but pure pain.

"I wonder if she screamed as loud as Katayama did!" Yuuya shouted gleefully. "You should have seen the look on his face as that wire cut right through his neck, blood squirting everywhere! It was fucking exuberant!"

It at that moment that Kai lost it.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" He screamed. "YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!" With a yell of pure fury, Kai pulled back his fist and practically shot it at Kizami, who, like before, almost effortlessly dodged it.

 _Crack!_

The wall emitted an audible cracking sound as Kai's fist crashed into it. That's when Yuuya made his move. Darting his hand out, his fingers wrapped around Kai's throat and pushed his back up against the wall before squeezing tightly. "Ghhhh..." Kai wheezed, clawing at Kizami's wrist, who just grinned and tightened his gripping.

"Ahhh! Shimada!" Tohko cried as she, without thinking, ran towards the two. Spotted her out of the corner of his eye, Yuuya waited until she was in range before using his free hand to shove her away. It was a light push, but Tohko went flying like she'd run into a brick wall, before landing hard on the floor, and lying there whimpering.

"Kir... isa..." Kai gasped as he lifted his foot and ground it into his attacker's. Kizami flinched, but didn't loosen his grip as he returned his attention to Kai, and grinned wickedly. "Sorry Shimada... looks like I win..." he gloated as he leaned in closer, staring into Kai's eyes. The redhead's gasps became quieter and less frequent and his eyes began losing focus, and his hands left Kizami's wrist and began falling to his side's.

"Hehehehe... well Shimada... it's been fun..." Yuuya said, his eyes glimmering with a sinister glee. However, noticing something at the bottom of his vision cone, Yuuya looked down, and was confused to see that Kai's left hand was in his breast pocket.

"Ehh? What are you-"

 _Shing!_

Kizami's eyes widened as he quickly relinquished his grip on Kai and leapt back. A split second later, a burning, intense pain struck him on his right cheek. "GHH!" Yuuya gasped as he landed on his feet and stumbled back, his hand flying to his cheek as he winced in pain. He then turned his attention to Kai, who was on his knees and hands gasping like a beached fish.

Clutched in his left hand, was a large, professional grade survival knife. The handle was pure black, with the bottom a cool silver. The five inch silver blade shone in Heavenly Host's dim lighting, with the edge of it tinted a slight crimson. Shocked, Kizami removed his hand from his cheek, and looked at his palm.

It was bloodied.

Clenching his fist, Kizami looked back at Kai, who was now getting to his feet. "Hahaha... You're a motherfucking fool Kizami..." Kai muttered poking himself in the chest as a smirk grew on his lips. "You don't mess... with a God damned Adonis." Twirling his knife, Kai pointed the blade at Kizami and grinned.

Yuuya's look of surprise and pain disappeared completely, replaced with a completely cold and blank face. His eyes held no emotions, yet still shone a bright crimson as he let out a mutter.

"Very well..."

Instantly, Kizami leapt towards his rival like a spring. His eyes widening, Kai made to move out of the way, but before he even decided which direction he was going in, Kizami's fist sank into his stomach. Kai dropped the knife and doubled over, clutching his stomach in pain. But even as he opened his mouth to scream, Yuuya raised his other arm and slammed his elbow into Kai's back. The redhead instantly crumbled to the floor, and lay there, face down and motionless, his knife a few feet away.

Yuuya looked over his rival's body, his eyes now full of contempt as he raised his foot over Kai's head. However, a soft gasp drew his attention, and, looking to the side, he saw that Tohko was sitting up, and watching the scene with abject horror. Seeing a fresh target, and that Kai was at the very least knocked out, Kizami allowed a dark smile to form on his lips as he made his way towards Tohko.

"Yuuya... please..." Tohko whimpered, tears in her eyes as she shuffled backwards. Kizami silently walked towards her, his grin growing ever wider. "Yuuya... stop this... please..." Tohko begged as Kizami came to a stop less than a foot from her. Looking down at the cowering girl before her, Yuuya smiled with a disturbing, sick joy as Tohko closed her eyes, as he raised his fist, as he spoke in a dead, emotionless voice.

 _"Yuuya... is dead..."_

 _"Hahaha..."_

 _"Ahahahaha!"_

 _"AAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA-!"_

"AGH!"

"Huh?" Tohko hesitantly opened her eyes at the sudden cry of pain. Kizami's features were clenched in pain as he seemed to be suppressing a scream. Then, with his pupils nothing but black dots in slightly bigger red dots, and his teeth bared in both anger and pain, Yuuya turned around, and that's when Tohko gasped.

A large knife was buried up to the hilt in Yuuya's back. Already, the shirt around the wound was being dyed a dark red. Looking around Kizami, Tohko was shocked to see Kai, standing several meters away, his eyes their usual cyan, gasping and clutching his stomach, yet with his right arm fully outstretched, thankful his aim had been good.

Glaring at Kai, Kizami began walking towards Kai, dragging his feet and heavily hunched over. But even as he made his way with the intent of finally killing Kai, Yuuya's eyes began dimming, and his expression became less hateful and more tired. Yet he still forced himself to move forward, taking increasingly sluggish steps and he made his way towards his rival. Finally, when he was less than a few feet away from Kai, he collapsed and fell to his knees with a groan, sounding more annoyed than in pain. By this point, his eyes were now their normal grey.

Kai did nothing but watch, as what was left of Yuuya Kizami looked up at him with clear, slightly confused eyes. Then, the corners of Yuuya's lips twitched slightly, almost like the beginnings of a smile, before he suddenly pitched over like he'd been kicked.

Kai looked down at the corpse before him for a few seconds, before reaching down and pulling the knife from Kizami's back. His face completely emotionless, Kai put the still bloody knife back in his breast pocket and walked past the motionless body to Tohko, who was on her feet, waiting for him. She looked at her crush's lifeless form for a second, before turning her attention to Kai, tears streaming down her cheeks. Yet despite this, she forced a smile on her face as she faced her friend. "Ready to go?" She asked. Kai stared at her blankly, before giving her a small smile. "Yeah," he said.

As they walked off, Kai discreetly glanced over his shoulder, and took on last look at the corpse of his rival, classmate, and friend. Closing his eyes, he returned his attention to the hall in front of him, muttering under his breath.

"I'm sorry..."

"...Yuuya..."

A/N

Well.

That was depressing.

In other, less tear-jerking matters, I should probably mention that CHAPTER 5 is going to be SIGNIFICANTLY longer than the other chapters. Just thought I should get that out for anyone wondering.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go cry in a corner over having killed my favourite character.

A/N


	25. CHAPTER 5 (8)

_"Just who the fuck are you?!" Kai demanded, his teeth bared back in anger. Kiriya just stared back at him, a calm, nonchalant smirk on his face as he leaned casually against the railing, his long hair flowing gently in the wind._

 _"The view is so nice up here... who'd have thought this filthy institution would actually have a decent place like this..." the mysterious boy mused, completely ignoring Kai as he turned his gaze towards the horizon. "Answer my fucking question!" The redhead shouted, taking a step forward as his eyes suddenly turned a dark purple. His eyes widened as the crimson aura around Kiriya suddenly became much clearer. It was so red... so blood-like... it was even darker than Kizami's when he-_

 _Kai shook his head and returned his attention to the boy in front of him, who was now looking him dead in the eye. "You want to know... who I am?" Kiriya asked, grinning ear to ear. Stepping away the roof's railing, he shoved his hands in his pockets and walked right past Kai, muttering something under his breath, but loud enough for Kai to hear._

 _"I'm your better... remember that, you fucking peasant..."_

"Hey! Shimada!"

Kai blinked for a few seconds, before looking down at Tohko, who was standing in front of him with a concerned look. "You... alright?" She asked. Kai looked around for a few seconds before he remembered where he was. "Y-Yeah..." he muttered, before walking around Tohko and continuing down the dark hall, his brow furrowed in confusion. Tohko let out a soft sigh, before following him. The two walked side by side in silence for awhile, before Tohko broke the silence.

"Back then, you were... well, pretty strong. Like, freakishly strong. And fast..." she began, looking up at her friend. "How did you get like that?" For the longest time, Kai didn't reply, instead just staring ahead with a blank look on his face. Then, when Tohko was about to ask again, he let out a sigh.

"I... don't know..." the redhead answered, his gaze cast up in thought. Tohko looked at him, full of worry. She was used to Kai being loud, arrogant and cheerful in an annoying way. In the span of a few hours, he seemed to have become a different person. Silent, brooding, serious, almost like...

Tohko gulped and forced her gaze forward. She couldn't think of him. Not now. Not yet. Kai glanced at her briefly, before returning his attention to his thoughts.

 _Another vision... what the hell do these things mean..._

 _There was that guy... but I've never seen 'em..._

 _All this shit is starting to fuck with me..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _Hmph... I wonder how many others are alive... Kizami... Kurosaki... Emi... Katayama..._

 _Tch... damn it..._

"...ages..."

"Huh?" Kai said, stopping in his tracks. "What is it?" Tohko asked, stopping as well. "Didn't you here that?" Kai asked. "No... hear what?" The greenette asked. Kai didn't reply, and instead cocked his ear in the direction he thought he heard the sound.

...

...

...

"...mada..."

Kai's eyes widened. He'd recognize that voice anywhere. "No way..." he muttered as he walked off in the direction of the voice. "H-Hey! Where are you going Shimada? Oi! Shimada!" Tohko yelled as she ran after him. Kai's walk quickly turned into a jog, which was now equivalent to a light sprint as a grin slowly fought it's way onto his face. "Oi! You there?!" He yelled.

"Huh? Is that...?!" The voice said, which Tohko could now hear, who's face lit up once she recognized it. "No way... it that...?" She panted. Kai just kept moving as he turned the corner. Looking down, he instantly came to a dead stop, causing Tohko (who was having to sprint to keep up with him) to nearly slam into him.

A twenty foot gap lay between the two and the rest of the hallway. Kai briefly wondered if he could make the jump now, before a familiar and welcome voice stirred him from his thoughts.

"Kai! Thank God!"

Looking up, Kai couldn't help but smile as he saw Fukuroi run around the other corner, with Mitsuki just behind him. "Fukuroi! Mitsuki!" Tohko yelled in joy as she stepped from behind Kai, her tiredness forgotten. "Tohko! And Shimada too..." Mitsuki said, happy tears streaming down her face as she clasped her chest.

"It's good to see you guys!" Fukuroi said, a relieved and happy smile gracing his lips. Kai gave him a friendly smirk in return. "Yeah. You alright Fukuroi? Yamamoto?" He asked. Mitsuki nodded, who was so overwhelmed she could just smile and sob. For awhile, the four just stared at each other, smiling, happy to finally see each other after so many trials faced. Then, Fukuroi, still smiling joyously, asked a question that immediately brought back the harsh reality of their predicament.

"So, have you met any of the others?"

Immediately, Tohko and Kai's grins were wiped off their faces. Noticing this, Fukuroi and Mitsuki lost their smiles as well. Biting her lip, Tohko looked up at Kai, who kept his eyes at the floor. In turn, Fukuroi looked down at Mitsuki, who, remembering the past few hours with a grimace, asked another question.

"Are there still... any others...?"

(Later)

"Katayama... Ohkawa..." Tohko wept as she fell to her knees, hiding her face in her hands. "Tch... FUCK!" Kai yelled, slamming his fist into the wall next to him. "We heard him screaming... we could have... if we were..." he growled through clenched teeth as he shut his eyes in frustration.

"No... Emi... Kurosaki... How could they...?" Mitsuki asked nobody in particular as she gripped her hair and sob silently. "Dammit..." Fukuroi muttered, trembling as he balled his fists, a few tears making their way out of his eyes. "And... Kizami... How could anyone like him be..." As if the name was a trigger, Kai eyes flew open, his irises tinged a slight purple as he chewed savagely on his bottom lip, trying to suppress both the scream of rage and pain building in his throat, and the tears piling up behind his eyes.

"So... it's just us four... is it?" Tohko asked. The four looked at each other. Kai Shimada, Tohko Kirisaki, Masato Fukuroi, and Mitsuki Yamamoto. Nine people had entered Heavenly Host at the same time. Only four tortured souls now remained.

"Nobody else..." Everyone turned and looked at Kai, who slowly lowered his hand to his side. He then looked up, his teeth bared and eyes locked at the ceiling, almost as if he was glaring directly at the twisted God who oversaw this place. "I swear here and now... That we are gonna get out... and nobody else is gonna fucking die!"

The others stared in surprise at him, until Fukuroi broke the silence. "Kai is right," he said, pushing up his glasses. "It is our duty to our fallen friends to get out of this hell hole." Mitsuki sniffed, wiped her tears away and gave what she hoped was a firm nod. "Y-Yeah! We can't let this place beat us!" Tohko slowly get to her feet. "Yeah... we can't just give up. If anything we should work harder now!" She agreed, giving a shaky smile. Kai looked at the others and gave a nod.

"Alright. So, may as well get you guys up to speed," he said, looking over at Fukuroi and Mitsuki. "Up to speed?" Mitsuki asked. "You heard of Yoshikazu?" Kai asked. "Yes. The man who committed numerous child murders in this building," Fukuroi replied. "Wrong mate. He didn't do jack," Kai said. "Huh? Then... who did it?" Fukuroi hesitantly asked.

"Well... have you heard of Sachiko Shinozaki? The girl in red?" Tohko asked. "Yeah, all over newspaper clippings and memoirs," Mitsuki informed. Tohko hesitated briefly, gulping as she remembered what she had seen over fifty years ago, before continuing. "She's the one who did it. She's the killer."

Mitsuki blinked slowly. "Sachiko... is the killer?" She asked, as if she wasn't sure she'd heard right. "But... but that's ridiculous!" She said. "I admit it sounds far fetched, but by now I'll believe anything," Fukuroi noted with a melancholy expression. "Heh. Testify brother," Kai commented. "Anyways, we wanna get outta this shit hole? We gotta appease Sachiko."

"Huh? Really? That's... odd..." Fukuroi said, his gaze turning upwards in thought. "Hmm? What's wrong?" Tohko asked. "It's that... we found a tape by a guy called Kou Kibiki," Mitsuki said. "He was talking about another way out, but he didn't mention anything about Sachiko."

"Hmph. Sounds like a different way out to me..." Kai mused. "Well, how about you look into this appeasement method, and we will find out about Kibiki's one," Fukuroi suggested. Tohko smiled. "Alright. That sounds good. We'll meet up here in an hour or so?" Mitsuki smiled back. "You got it!"

"Alright. We'll check ya later. Stay safe," Kai said, turning around. "Wait! Kai!" Fukuroi yelled. "Ehh?" Kai muttered, turning around to see Fukuroi staring intently at him. "What's up? I got something on my face?" The redhead asked.

"No, it's..." Fukuroi hesitated, before continuing. "You seem... different, Kai," he said. "Are you alright?" Kai stared blankly at him for a second, before giving him a reassuring smirk. "Yeah, don't worry about me, Mr. President." Fukuroi smiled back, but couldn't suppress the feeling of concern.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Tohko said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out something. "Huh? The hell's that?" Kai asked. "I forgot to tell you, but Yuki gave me this when I came back," Tohko informed, handing the object, which was now clearly seen to be a statue. "She said to give it to these two."

Kai looked at the small statue in his hands with a frown. It depicted a man in a rope with wings and a goat's head. It didn't seem to be anything special, but for some reason, it reminded him off... someone...

 _"I'm your better... remember that, you fucking peasant..."_

Grimacing, Kai turned his thoughts back to reality. "Here. Take this," he said as he casually tossed the statue the entire length of the twenty foot gap. Fukuroi yelled in surprise as he just barely caught the object. "W-What do we do with this?" He asked. "I'm not sure... the ghost we got it from seemed to think you'd know," Tohko said. Fukuroi sighed, then put the mysterious object in his blazer pockets.

"Well, if that's it, we should go," he said. The four reminded motionless, trying to find the will to turn away from their newly found friends. Finally, taking a deep breath, Fukuroi turned. "Take good care Kai. Kirisaki. We'll... see you soon," he said. "Yeah... don't do anything risky guys..." Mitsuki warned, before hesitantly turning to Fukuroi, not wanting to look at them any more in case she couldn't leave.

"Y-Yeah..." Tohko sighed, watching as the two disappeared into the darkness. Kai didn't say anything, but watched Fukuroi and Mitsuki vanish, a hard look in his eyes.

 _Don't worry guys..._

 _I swear... We'll get the fuck outta here..._

"Shimada?"

Kai looked down to see Tohko facing him, though she looked down at his shoes, a nervous look on her face. "Do you think... Yuuya would want us to get out?" She asked, unwilling to look him in the face. Kai remained silent, before letting out a soft chuckle. "Heh... Yeah. I do," he said, a soft, barely noticeable smile on his face, eerily similar to the one that was now permanently worn by a recently deceased rival of his.

Tohko looked up in mild surprise at his words, but returned them with a grin of her own. "You're right. Now come on! Let's see what we can find!" She said as she and Kai walked off into the expanding shadows.

(?)

"So, you say Ayumi Shinozaki is currently in the Nirvana?"

"..."

"Tch... that's fucking bullshit..."

"This puts my plan on hold for now..."

"..."

"Heh! Like hell I'd go there just to rescue that retard! She's a Shinozaki. She'll make it out alive."

"..."

"Then I'll just find another way to achieve the power I seek. Now, if you don't mind, I don't like talking on the phone for long, so I'm hanging up."

"..."

"Yeah. I can't wait to finish you off in person..."

"... _peasant_..."

A/N

Again, sorry for the late update. I've had some personal stuff get in the way of things lately, but I've finally got this out. Just in time for a daily dose of plot thickening...

A/N


	26. CHAPTER 5 (9)

CHAPTER 5 (9)

 **"I'm afraid I've never saw any bags in my time here... alive... or dead..."** the pale blue spirit said in a dull, emotionless voice. Her long, matted black hair hung either side of her face, and her white school uniform was covered in blood, centred around the abdomen, which vaguely reminded Kai of Ryo.

"Tch... that fucking sucks..." the redhead muttered, running his fingers through his hair as he leant against the teachers desk. Looking through the spirit, he watched silently as Tohko shifted through the various cupboards on the other side of the room, occasionally letting out a squeal at their contents. "Alright, that's cool. I just wanna ask you one last thing," he said, turning his attention back to the spirit, who slowly nodded. Kai hesitated slightly, before asking his question. "You ghosts can see everyone in this place, and tell if they're supernatural or shit, right?"

 **"That is correct..."**

"Am I... the only spiritual guy still kicking?"

The spirit closed her eyes for a few seconds, and then opened them, her deadpan expression never changing once. **"You are indeed... No one currently alive in this building... is spiritually sensitive to a noticeable degree... excluding you..."** Kai cursed under his breath, before asking another question.

"What about a midget with a mullet? Might be wearing a uniform like mine?" He asked hopefully. The spirit shook her head, and Kai kissed his teeth in frustration. "Alright. Thanks," he said. The spirit stayed where she was for a few seconds, before nodding and fading from view, leaving behind a thoroughly disappointed model.

"Well, there's definitely nothing over there," Tohko said, as she walked over to Kai, shuddering as she recalled the objects she just discovered. "Hey. What about you?" She asked. Kai huffed, before standing up straight.

"I didn't find jack..." he grumbled as he walked over to the door. "Come on, Kirisaki. Let's see if we can find some shit some place else." Tohko again found herself surprised by Kai new aloof attitude, but followed him out the door anyways. After several minutes of walking down the halls in silence, the two eventually came to what looked like an entrance hall, judging by the rows and rows of shelves, many of which had rotten, decayed shoes. A large door was positioned on the other end of the room.

"Huh? Looks like an entrance ha-" Tohko began, before she was roughly shouldered out of the way. "Move it! I wanna see this for myself," Kai said, swiftly crossing the room. Tohko rolled her eyes in annoyance.

 _Hmph... Looks like part of the old jackass is still there..._

In a way, that fact relieved Tohko.

Kai grabbed the door handle, and, to his surprise, slid it open rather easily. Immediately, the sound of heavy rain and thunder ripped through the air. The door now led out into a large field, with a massive line of trees bordering the edge. Just standing in the doorway left Kai's front soaked.

"Tch... Looks like we found another way outside..." Kai grumbled, wiping his already wet face. "Huh... it looks like we're in a forest," Tohko mused, standing behind Kai, avoiding the onslaught of rain. Turning around, Tohko turned her attention to the rows and rows of shelves. Most held shoes which at one point may have been multiple different colours, but now were all the same rotting brown. However, a flash of colour caught her eyes from one of the shelves. Frowning, she walked towards the shelf in question, and gasped when she saw what it was.

"Hey! Shimada! Check this out!" She yelled over her shoulder. "What?" Kai said as he walked over, shaking his wet hair. Tohko turned and held out the object to him. It was a small, painfully pink notebook, something typical of an eleven year old girl. So it caught him off guard even more when he saw the name on the front.

"Naho... Saenoki?! This her diary or something?" Kai asked. "It looks like it, though I didn't think Nano would have something so... colourful..." Tohko said, looking at the bright pink notebook with her eyebrows raised. "Lemme see that," Kai said, catching it as Tohko tossed it to him. Looking at the book in his hands, Kai couldn't help but feel an odd presence coming from it. He glanced behind him slightly, almost expecting to see Naho herself standing there, only to, as expected, find nothing.

"Hmph. Well, might as well check it out," the redhead said, opening the book and flipping through it. "H-Hey! Don't just go through someone's private property like that!" Tohko yelled. Kai looked up and raised his eyebrows. "You serious? We're meant to be looking for clues here!" Then, Kai smirked and closed the book. "I guess we COULD just let this possible game-changer just slip outta our hands... not like we NEED to get out..."

"Okay okay! Open the damn book!" Tohko huffed, looking away. Grinning slightly, Kai continued flipping through the pages until he noticed one that caught his eye. "Huh... Kirisaki. Check this shit," he said. Almost hesitantly, Tohko stood next to him and looked at the page he was currently on.

 _ **Examination of Sacred Spaces - File 01 'Ghost Therapy - Heart Surgery Ward' (Investigation pending.)**_

 _ **Examination of Sacred Spaces - File 02 'K Prefecture - Heavenly Host Elementary School' (Investigation in progress.)**_

 _ **Method of ingress: Obtained. (Requires two or more participants.) Method of egress: Obtained. (Will need to gather more information and plan very carefully, but it can be done.) Encountered fierce spiritual resistance while simply researching the Shinozaki estate. Right side of body paralyzed. Left eardrum ringing. Orbs visible in photographs. Influence confirmed. Severe dizziness, nausea and bloody BM experienced. Symptoms persist for weeks. Significant danger is clearly present. Next investigation will place others at risk. May be best to leave Mr. Kibiki behind. Seems he returned empty-handed again today. How many times has that happened with this publisher? He writes such interesting pieces, but never receives due credit. They're too daft. They don't appreciate him. Poor guy can't catch a break... But all that will change once his next serial is published. I'll do everything in my power to help him get the recognition he deserves.**_

"What is this..." Kai wondered. "It looks like Naho did some investigating on Sachiko's family... even before she came here..." Tohko said. Kai nodded, as he picked out a name. "Kibiki? Isn't that the guy Fukuroi and Yamamoto mentioned? Maybe they came here together..." he suggested. "Maybe... though I've never heard of him before," Tohko admitted.

"Huh... This says that there was gonna be another investigation. Maybe she wrote about it in her notes after she did that too..." Kai said. "Oh yeah! Check the book!" Tohko urged. Kai quickly flipped through the rest of the book, but failed to find anything to do with the investigation. Most of the pages were either torn out or just scribbled over.

"Tch... no dice..." he said, tossing the useless book over his shoulder. Tohko winced slightly as Naho's property crashed onto the floor. "Well, the pages are torn out. Maybe they're scattered around the school," she suggested. "Huh. Maybe..." Kai said, pushing his bangs out of his eyes as he thought. "Hmph. Let's go Kirisaki," he said, a slight smirk on his lips. "We got ourselves a lead, and I'm ready to chase it down!"

"Yeah! Right by you!" Tohko replied, as the two quickly left the room, eyes on the prowl for any notes.

(Elsewhere)

Fukuroi rattled the infirmary door handle, but, to his disappointment, it refused to budge an inch. "Tch..." he muttered, admitting defeat to his inanimate foe and continuing down the hall. "Why were you so bent on opening that door?" Mitsuki asked, a few steps ahead of the council president. "Who knows what might lie in any of this schools rooms? It's important we check them all," Fukuroi replied.

"Well, all we need is another tape. It's not like something as out of place as that is going to be hidden to well!" Mitsuki insisted, walking with her head high, her confidence back full force. Fukuroi shook his head, smiling slightly, as he continued following her. After a short period of time, Mitsuki, still leading the way, noticed something small and silver lying on the floor several meters in front of her. "Hey Fukuroi! There's something over there!" She said, jogging over and picking it up. "M-Mitsuki! Wait! You don't know- ahhh!" Fukuroi groaned as he picked up the speed and ran over to her.

In Mitsuki's hand was a typical, silver flip phone, one any random person would have. It was covered in bloody finger prints, but other than that was in good condition. "Hmm? What's this?" Fukuroi asked. "Looks like someone left their phone lying around," Mitsuki said as she jammed her thumb on the big, obvious select button. To the duo's surprise, the phone started up without a hitch. The screen saver showed a young girl around their age wearing a uniform that was different to theirs, yet oddly familiar, consisting of a tan sailed top and a blue skirt. She had bright green eyes that complemented the smile she gave to the photographer.

"Huh. Maybe this is her pho-" Fukuroi began, before the rest of his sentence died in his throat as Mitsuki pressed a button and moved past the screen saver to what could only be described as a photo of the damned. The screen displayed the body of what looked like a young man, who's head had been beaten to the point where the flesh had turned to mush. The thick, soupy-looking liquid spread across the floor, dying his uniform a dark crimson.

"AHHH!" Mitsuki gasped as she dropped the phone and stumbled back into Fukuroi's chest. The phone fell to the floor and bounced into the air a few inches, before falling back down, it's screen now blank, presumably due to the impact. Fukuroi and Mitsuki stared in horrified anticipation at the now deactivated phone, almost as if they expected it to jump at them. When it became obvious that it wasn't, the two looked at each other, silently agreed never to mention the picture again, and hesitantly and cautiously walked past the device.

"W-Well... Maybe the tape is hidden pretty well huh?" Mitsuki said, a forced smile on her face. Fukuroi nodded, his face slightly pale. "Yes, though hopefully, this place will show us some unlikely mercy and permit us to find it..." he muttered. "Though, that may as well be an unreasonable, unobtainable wish in this-"

 _ **Hee hee...**_

Quickly, the two spun backwards, eyes wide in surprise. For a fraction of a second, they saw what looked like a glowing, pale blue outline that seemed to resemble a small child. It was only for an instant though, so quick it almost seemed like an illusion. What definitely wasn't an illusion was the object lying in the place the outline had stood.

"Is that..." Mitsuki said, stepping forward slightly, before grinning and breaking into a jog. "M-Mitsuki! Don't just run-!" Fukuroi began, before he caught sight of the object. "Well I'll be damned..." he said in shock as Mitsuki turned and smiled at him, a cassette tape in hand. "Looks like this place does show the odd bit of mercy every now and then!" Mitsuki grinned, pocketing the tape. "Come on, let's go!" She said. "On it!" Fukuroi replied as the two speed off to the custodians closet.

(Later)

 _"I shouldn't be alone..." Kou Kibiki muttered under his breath as the camera auto-focused in the dim lighting. "I shouldn't be alone... I can't just die... I can't lose hope..." It seemed that the school had finally gotten to the poor man, his voice low and shaky, like he was on the verge of spontaneously screaming and crying._

 _"If anyone is watching this tape... know that there is a way out... and I'm going to tell you now..." Kibiki began. "You need to perform the Sachiko ritual correctly. One time for each person, and once more for Sachiko, before putting your doll scraps together."_

 _STAMP!STAMP!STAMP!_

 _At the sound of the sudden stomping, Kibiki let out a quiet whimper, as the camera began shaking. "I never should have come here..." he said, his voice trembling with raw fear. "I never should have done it... I shouldn't be alone..."_

 _ **K... I... B... K... I...**_

 _BANG!_

 _A horse, demonic voice ripped though the air. Kibiki moaned in terror, and the camera shifted as he shuffled away. Something was banging the door._

 _BANG!_

 ** _KIBIKI!_**

 _"No... No!"_

 _K̖̦͚̙̻̙̇ͨ̒͐͌͛͠ ̢̯͇̗̜̥̏I͚̗̹̤ͥͤ ̡̥͕̥̰̞̜͍ͨB̬̲ ̴͖̩͍̈ͤI̧̮̰̤͉̜͚̯͑ͬ ̺̩̹̩̥̮̜́͝K̬̫̥ͦͧͤ̔ ̞͓̹̣͕͔̠ͤ̒ͧ͆ͮI͚͠ ̪̺̳̺̖̰̣̋̓ͨ̃̋ͮ!͎̺͚̺͑ͅ!̶͉̙̰̎ͤ!̸̩̫̄̌!͛̿̊͑ͫ!̺ͪ̃̄ͪ̏_

 _Suddenly, there was a deafening crashing sound, followed by the same stomps from earlier and several wheezes. "AAHHHH!" Kibiki screamed as he presumably threw the camera at his attacker. The camera fell to the floor and reminded pointed at the wall._

 _ **K I... B I K... I...**_

 _"No... No! Naho, stop! STOP! AHHHHHHH! AAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!"_

 _CRUNCH!_

"That was..." Fukuroi whispered, his face pale as he lent one hand against the closet door, silently thankful the tape ended where it did. "Yeah... pretty bad..." Mitsuki said, sweating profoundly as Kibiki's dying screams, before a small smile grew on her lips. "More importantly... At least we finally know a way out!" Fukuroi's eyes lit up. "Ahhh yes! Looks like this place does have mercy after all!" He said. As he said those words though, a thought popped into his head, and he frowned.

"Huh, what's up?" Mitsuki asked, noticing his change in expression. "When we performed the charm, Emi told us to only say the chant for all nine of us..." Fukuroi began. "But, according to this, we need to say the chant once for Sachiko herself. Emi didn't say anything about that." Hearing this, Mitsuki thought back, and a worried look came upon her face. "Do you think... that's how we got here?" Fukuroi nodded. "I do believe-"

 _CRACK!_

"Ghh!" Fukuroi cried as the doors of the cupboard he was leaning against suddenly fell inwards. "Fukuroi!" Mitsuki said, instinctively rushing forward to help her friend. "I'm... fine..." Fukuroi muttered, now head first in the closet as he took Mitsuki's open hand with one of his, and rubbing his sore head with the other. "Well, that was out of the blue," Mitsuki noted as she helped Fukuroi to his feet.

That's when the smell hit them.

Having been in Heavenly Host for some time now, the two instantly knew what it was. Turning around slowly, Fukuroi pulled back the reminding door, and leapt back in horror as his suspicions were confirmed.

"W-What the hell!?" He yelled as the body of a withered man wearing a blue yukata stared back at him with eyeless sockets. Mitsuki gave a short shriek and tripped over her own feet stepping back. "I... I..." She sputtered. "I... assume we have found Mr. Kibiki..." Fukuroi muttered. Steeling himself, he stepped forward for a better look, and noticed there was a significantly smaller corpse laying next to Kibiki. He let out a gasp, immediately recognizing it.

"Mitsuki! It's the body of the ghost who took that article from us!" Fukuroi said. "R-Really?" Mitsuki asked, getting to her feet and staggering over. True enough, the body was exactly like the ghost they has seen earlier. As exactly as a rotting corpse could look anyways. Shuddering slightly, Mitsuki averted her gaze, and noticed something odd about the closet.

"Fukuroi? I think the space goes... deeper," she said. "Huh? Let me see..." Fukuroi replied as he looked closer, trying to ignore the bodies as he did so, and realized that the back of the cupboard did go much further back. "Do you think we should inspect it?" Fukuroi asked. "Probably. It could lead to something," Mitsuki said. "Plus, this room is starting to give me the creeps..."

Fukuroi nodded, and the two pushed the reminding door as far as it would go, before stepping inside the mysterious passage, making a point not to step on the bodies as the did so.

(Elsewhere)

"Huh? Hey! Shimada! I found it!" Tohko yelled. "Heh! Nice work!" Kai said as he walked over to her side of the staff room. "I was starting to think we wouldn't find shit..." He muttered as he peered over Tohko's shoulder. In her hands was a old, dusty but legible piece of paper.

 _ **I had a final exam today, so I went to school for the first time in quite a while. Seems while I was gone, Kibiki came here to Heavenly Host without me. 'It's too dangerous! We don't have enough data!' he said, trying to justify why he'd skulk into this sacred ground behind my back. His assistant, Taguchi, most likely put him up to it. I did give him all the details on how to return home from here, and it's a fairly simple process...but I can't help worrying about him nonetheless. At any rate, the blog's been updated. And I do feel bad about dragging my friend Sayaka into this... ...but it's time to dive headfirst into these trenches, and really feel out what this place is all about...**_

"Huh. I guess Naho really did know this Kibiki guy..." Tohko mused. "Looks like she came here to look for 'im," Kai muttered, reading and re-reading the paper. "This doesn't feel complete... so I imagine there are more papers around," Tohko said, folding up the paper and putting it in her pocket. Kai nodded. "Yeah. Let's get a-"

Kai suddenly flinched mid-sentence as if he'd been slapped. His facial muscles were suddenly much tighter, and his eyes wide with surprise. "Huh? What's up?" Tohko asked, noticing his odd expression. Kai's eyes narrowed. "Leave..." He said, his voice dry and emotionless. "Wait? What?" Tohko asked, blinking in shock. "Cool it. I'll only be a minute," Kai said. Tohko was about to question this, but, upon seeing his stern expression, she gulped and hesitantly left the room. With Tohko gone, Kai closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and spoke.

"You gonna come out or what..."

"...Naho..."

"My my! You have changed quite a bit!" Naho chuckled as she stepped out of the shadows and into the dim lighting. Kai turned and snarled at her smug smirk. "Cut the crap! Just tell me what you're up to, bitch!" He yelled. "Me? Up to something? What gave you that idea?" Naho asked, her voice practically dripping with sarcasm. "I'm just a humble observer of your quest..." Kai scoffed. "Don't give me any of that bull..." He warned, his eyes flashing purple, briefly taking note of the pale red aura around Naho. "I'll figure out this shit... and I'm gonna get outta this dump with the others..."

"I'm certain you will..." Naho said, giving a sly grin as she turned around. "Hold it! I got a question for ya," Kai said. "Oh... and what may that be?" Naho asked, her curiosity rising as she turned back to him. "You're all up in that spiritual shit. So I figured you must know something about my powers," Kai said.

Naho pondered this for a few seconds, glazing curiously at Kai's aura, before voicing her thoughts. "Your spiritual aura is extremely odd. I haven't seen any one like it. I sense... you have the potential to become incredibly powerful..." she mused. "I don't care about that shit!" Kai yelled. "Do you know where they came from!?"

Naho analysed Kai's spiritual aura (which to her was a thick, intense purple) for awhile longer, until she stepped back, her eyes slightly wider, and an expression of what looked like legitimate surprise on her face. "Impossible..." she muttered quietly "Well? What?!" Kai demanded. His words seemed to bring Naho back to her senses, and she fixed him with a blank look.

"Sorry... just an insane idea..." she said. "I'm afraid I don't know anything about the origin of your abilities." Kai glared at her suspiciously, before turning on his heel and walking away. "Whatever... I'll figure you out later..." He muttered, sliding the door open and stepping out into the hallway, slamming the door shut.

Naho remained motionless until she felt his presence leave the imminent area. Then, a sly, dark smirk grew on her lips as she slowly began fading from view.

"I didn't think it was possible but... Hehehe... Kai Shimada... You have no idea what you're in for..."

A/N

Another chapter. Another shred of knowledge teased. Teased. But never revealed. As is my goal in this story. TO TEASE!

A/N


	27. CHAPTER 5 (10)

CHAPTER 5 (10)

 _He was back._

 _Kai had returned to the room Yuki had sent him to before he had returned to Heavenly Host. The colours, like before, blurred and smudged into one another like paint, decorating the featureless room. However, unlike before, Kai noticed that there was a small purple pentagram had been etched into the floor. Unlike the rest of the room, which shifted and blurred like thick liquid, the pentagram stayed in exactly the same place at all times, looking very out of place, like someone had slapped it on at the last second._

 _"What the fuck..." Kai muttered as he looked around, confused. Just a few seconds ago he had been walking down a hallway, searching alongside Tohko for Naho's notes, but now he was somehow in a completely different place._

 _"HEh heh Heh hEh hEH..."_

 _"GHH!" At the sound of the voice, Kai yelled in pain as he fell to his knees, his hands on his head, which was pounding like someone had struck him with a brick. Suddenly, he felt a presence flood the room, a presence that felt foreign, yet more familiar than anything Kai had ever felt before. Almost as if he was feeling a part of himself._

 _"hAHAhahaHaaHAHahA!"_

 _"You..." Kai grumbled, lifting his head slightly and glaring at the room._

 _"wEll DoNe mortaL... YOU TruLY aRe A fascINaTIng speCImEn..."_

 _"You did this to me..." Kai growled, finally getting to his feet, standing tall as he looked around, trying to pinpoint the location of the voice. "You gave me these powers! Why?! Who are you?!"_

 _"FOr milLeNNIa, THe DEMons oF thE NIRvANa HAvE nOt senT me One THEY DeEmED wortHy of mY PreSenCe... uNTil yOu... kAI SHImaDA!" The voice declared, sounding more like a demonic choir than a singular person. "Answer my motherfucking question!" Kai demanded, his face red. "Just who the hell to you think you are, you little bi-!"_

 _Suddenly, the agonizing pain returned like a switch had been pushed. "AAAAHHHHH!" Kai screamed, palming his face as he fell to the floor, writhing in pain. The pentagram on the shifty ground started to glow incredibly bright, like a purple sun had suddenly appeared._

 _"yoU dARe taLk TO Me liKE ThAt You iNsOlent foOl!" The voice exclaimed, the rage it felt obvious. "Ghhhh... aaahhhhh..." Kai groaned as he flayed around on his back, clawing at his head, trying to will the pain away. Eventually, the pain ebbed away slightly as the voice seemed to calm._

 _"yOu wiSH to KnOW wHo i Am, MorTAL?"_

 _"Y-You..." Kai grumbled in rage, his head still throbbing as he tried to get to his feet._

 _"ThAT quesTIoN wiLL BE AnsWERED iN dUe tiMe... FOr now... LIve... surviVE thE NIRvANa... ShOW tHeM thAT I stILl rULe..."_

 _Suddenly, all the pain Kai felt disappeared, like nothing had been afflicting him in the first place. The redhead lay gasping on the floor, waiting for the agony to return. Seconds passed. Minutes. Then, holding his breath, Kai lay his hands on the floor and began pushing himself off the ground._

 _That's when the pain came back._

 _"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"_

 _"QUeEN! cThULhU! YOu misrIBaLe hUMAns! knOw tHAt I stILl haVe pOWeR!"_

"KAI!"

 _Slap!_

"GHA?!" Kai gasp as his eyes flew opened, immediately sitting up with his back straight like someone had electrocuted him. "Ahh!" Tohko yelled as she tumbled back, surprised by the sudden movement and fell on her backside. "You... You..." Kai mumbled, his eyes glowing not purple, but a deep, dark crimson as they wondered around, cloudy and unfocused. "S-Shimada..." Tohko whispered, watching her friend with confusion and horror. Hearing her voice, Kai's head turned to face her, his eyes now normal and focused, looking like he'd just woken up from a bad dream. It took him a couple seconds to remember their location. Oddly, he found himself almost glad to be back in the dark hallway of Heavenly Host.

Almost.

"Shimada... what happened?!" Tohko demanded, getting to her feet. "I turn my back for a second, and then I find you on the floor acting like you're having a heart attack!" Kai was only half-listening as he got to his feet, his recent vision still fresh in his mind.

 _No... that felt too real to be a vision... what the fuck was it then...?_

"I was so worried! And your eyes were glowing! Red this time! Why was that?! Does it have something to do with your powers? Where did they even-!?"

"WILL YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP FOR ONCE!?"

Tohko was stunned into silence at Kai's sudden outburst. The man had his eyes screwed shut and his palm to his forehead. "Jesus fuck... all this damn questions... kinda like a hysterical version of Aiko..." he muttered. Tohko frowned slightly.

"Who's... Aiko?"

Kai opened his eyes, turned to her and opened his mouth to say something, before his brow furrowed in confusion. "I... don't know..." he admitted. The name had just randomly popped into his head, and had seemed so familiar that at first he hadn't even questioned it. "I... don't..." Running his fingers through his spiked hair, Kai lent against the wall, staring at the floor in silence.

Tohko looked at him, a mix of curiosity and pity in her gaze. "You know..." she began. "I... don't really know what you're going through, but... well, just know I'm here for you, alright? If you need to talk, I'm happy to listen!" She said, giving Kai a friendly smile. Kai glanced up at her, and, for a second, a ghost of a smirk crossed his lips.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Tohko said, reaching into her pocket. "Just before I noticed you, I found this just laying in the hallway!" She pulled out a pale, yellowed piece of paper, and showed it to Kai, who quickly recognized the handwriting. "Heh... Naho's notes..." he muttered, grinning slightly as Tohko put the piece of paper between them so they could read it.

 _ **Herein I will detail the proper observance of Sachiko Shinozaki's charm, as well as a means of reversing its effects and returning home.**_

 _ **'Sachiko in the Everafter' Procedure for Proper Observance - The spell trigger is the phrase, 'Sachiko, we beg of you.' It must be chanted once for each participant, then one additional time for Sachiko. Following this, the proxy doll is to be torn apart. (Should the proxy doll recovered from the ruins of the old Shinozaki estate be unavailable... ...a printed facsimile will suffice for the purposes of this ritual.) If everything is performed as indicated, the spirit will pass by harmlessly, and nothing of note should occur. If any part of this ritual is performed incorrectly, however, then Sachiko herself will descend upon any viable spirit medium in the vicinity... ...and all present will be afflicted with her curse and spirited away to the sacred ground.**_

 _ **\- Procedure for Reversal - If you've angered Sachiko, you may atone by redoing the ritual properly...but in reverse. First, produce your remnant of the proxy doll...**_

After this, the paper had been torn off, preventing any further reading.

"Yes... this is what we're looking for!" Tohko exclaimed excitedly. "All we have to do is put our pieces together and do the charm again!" Looking at Kai however, she was confused to see him staring intently at the note, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. "Huh? What's wrong," she asked.

"This tells us to say 'Sachiko we beg of you' one for all the participants, and once for for Sachiko..." Kai muttered. "Yeah..." Tohko said, trying to figure out where was going with this. "But... Urabe never said shit about saying it once more for Sachiko..." Kai finished, taking the paper and pointing at the detail in question.

"But that's... you're right..." Tohko said, eyes lighting up as the pieces fell into place in her head. "But wait... does that mean Emi got it wrong..." she asked, confused as she looked up at Kai, who's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Urabe wouldn't make a mistake like that," he said, shoving the paper in his blazer pocket. "She got bullshit info, but only 'cause she got a bullshit broker..."

"Are you saying Naho deliberately put out the wrong instructions?!" Tohko said in disbelief. "Yeah. That's exactly what I'm saying..." Kai growled through clenched teeth, his eyes flashing violet. "Come on. We gotta find the others." With that, he turned and began power-walking down the hall. "H-Hey! Just wait a second here! Oi! Shimada!" Tohko yelled as she ran after him.

(Elsewhere)

"Well I'll be damned..." Fukuroi said as he walked through the Custodians Closet's closet and into a large, dark room. The only light source was coming from that looked like a hole in an extremely high ceiling, descending from which was a black, rustic ladder.

"Whoa... this place is full of secrets," Mitsuki mused as she stepped out of the hole in the wall and into the dirt floor, looking around the room. "Looks like a way out up there," she said, craning her neck upwards towards the light source. "Hang on," Fukuroi said. "We don't know what that is exactly. It could just be a light bulb hanging from the... Mitsuki!" He yelped as he just noticed that his companion had walked right passed him and was already climbing the ladder.

"Hmm? What is it, Fukuroi?" She asked innocently, looking back slightly as she continued climbing upwards. "How can you just...! Forget it," Fukuroi sighed, defeated as he began walking towards the ladder. Upon stepping on the rugs and starting his climb, he was surprised and relived to see how sturdy it was, and was soon catching up to Mitsuki.

"Hey Fukuroi! It is a hole! Can you see it?" Mitsuki yelled quickly, before turning her attention back to climbing. Breathing a sigh of relief, Fukuroi looked directly up to try and see it. A few moments of silence passed. "Well? Do you see it?" Mitsuki asked, still not looking down. Another second of silence, passed before Fukuroi responded. "H-Huh?! Oh! O-Of course Mitsuki! Really clearly!" Mitsuki raised her eyebrow at his odd delivery, before shrugging it off and climbing faster.

Before long, Mitsuki's head burst through the hole, and she was surprised to find herself in a bathroom stall. Climbing out, she opened the door and walked into what she assumed to be the girls toilets, in as just a decaying and rotten state as the rest of the school. On the floor, she noticed that there was a third tape. Picking it up, she noted that, unlike the other two, which both had a date, this one simply had S-I-N scrawled onto the front.

Hearing Fukuroi surface behind her, she turned towards him. "Hey Fukuroi, look at-!" She began, before noticing his suspiciously scarlet cheeks. "Uhhh... Are you alright?" She asked, an eyebrow raised. "Of course I am!" Fukuroi replied, a little too quickly for her tastes. "Okay... Anyways, I found another tape!" She said, showing him her find.

"Huh, I wonder what this one could be about... we already know the way out now..." Fukuroi mused, examining the object like a specimen under a microscope. "Still, it could have some important information we might need..." he muttered. "Exactly! Come on, let's get back to the Custodians Closet right away!" Mitsuki said, already in the process of climbing down the hole.

"Ehh? W-Wait Mitsuki! I'm still...! Tch... I don't even know why I try..." Fukuroi groaned as he dragged himself towards the ladder. "Hmph... Well, I hope the others are making this level of progress at least..."

(Elsewhere)

"HEY! FUKUROI! YAMAMOTO!" Kai yelled out. "Enough, Shimada! Just yelling won't solve anything!" Tohko criticized, ready to bash her head against the wall after listening to Kai screaming. "Actually, we're all in the same space now, so I don't see why it won't," Kai rebunked. Tohko opened her mouth to say a comeback, but reluctantly closed it when nothing came to mind.

"Anyways, I think we should still be looking for more of Naho's notes," she said. "Why? We already know the way out!" Kai replied. "Yeah, but I feel like there's more to it than just that," Tohko insisted. "Besides, didn't Yuki say we had to appease Sachiko in order to leave?"

"That sounds like it'll take too damn long, we gotta get out now," Kai said, still walking forward. "Huh. You're awfully focused on getting out now," Tohko muttered, not expecting Kai to actually hear it. "Duh!" The redhead said as continued to stomp forward. "We gotta get out ASAP! Who knows how long we've been gone? Could've been a fucking week for all we know! We gotta get out now so that I can show that he still ru-!"

Like he'd just been switched off, Kai suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, causing Tohko to almost slam into his back. "H-Hey! What are you doing? And what were you talking about? Who's 'he'?" She asked. No reply. Kai just stared forward at the hallway in front of him silently. Growing mildly concerned, Tohko peeked around him, to see what he was looking at.

It was Sachiko.

The undead girl just stood there facing them, her long hair covering her face. The duo stood frozen to the ground, as if locked by their shared terror. Interestingly, Sachiko's entire focus seemed to be directed towards Kai, just as his was towards her. Her spiritual aura was quite simply, black. There was no colour whatsoever, just a thick cloud so dark that it made the dim school seem as bright as a star.

Sachiko reminded still for several seconds, before finally turning around and walking through the door next to her, which opened and then closed by itself. A few more seconds of silence passed. Then, Kai said something.

"I think... She wants us to follow her..." he whispered. "W-What?!" Tohko yelled. "Why would we follow Sachiko of all people into a dark room!?" Kai just shook his head and began walking towards the door, an odd fascination in his eyes. "I just... feel something... you get me?" He asked. "No!" Tohko exclaimed as she dashed after him. "I don't get any-!"

 _Crink!_

"Huh?" Both Tohko and Kai said as they both looked down at Kai's foot. The redhead lifted his leg, revealing a now shattered pair of glasses, and a student name tag. "What the..." Tohko said, moving closer to get a look. "It's a name tag..." Kai muttered, picking it up and looking at it's front. The picture showed a stern looking young man around their age, with wavy, pale blue hair, and green eyes hidden behind a pair of glasses. He was wearing an unfamiliar uniform.

SAKUTARO MORISHIGE

KISARAGI ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL

2-9

"Sakutaro... Morishige? Who's that?" Tohko asked. "Fuck if I know..." Kai muttered as he tossed the piece of plastic over his shoulder, stepping forward as he did so. "...and fuck if I care..." he finished as he slid open the door, on which a label reading 'Science Lab' was plastered, and stepped in. Tohko hesitated, before following Kai, making sure to leave the door open.

At first glance, there was nothing out of the ordinary. The first half of the room was completely barren save for the teachers desk and podium. Towards opposite wall, there were several long tables with rusty, ancient taps attached. Like the rest of the school, the entire room seemed to be rotten and falling apart. Everything looked like brushing against it would cause it to collapse. But that wasn't what caught there attention.

It was the person.

A tall, humanoid figure was standing in front of the teachers podium with a white cloth over it's head, hiding it's body from view, excluding it's feet, one of which which appeared to have been skinned. The figure hadn't moved a muscle since the two had laid eyes on it, almost as if it was a statue. It may as well be, for all they knew.

"What... is that...?" Tohko asked, after several seconds of terrified silence. "I... don't know..." Kai admitted. The thing definitely wasn't a spirit of any kind, but there was something that was just off about it. Kai felt like the minute he looked away from it, it would jump up and suddenly attack him.

"It looks like an... anatomical model, judging by the feet," Tohko observed. "Just... keep an eye on it. 'Kay?" Kai said. Tohko nodded stiffly, and the two walked further into the room, always making sure that at least one of them could see the model. Crossing the room, they made it to a cabinet that appeared unlocked. "Alright, you check it out, I'll watch the model," Kai said. "Yeah," Tohko replied, as she opened the cupboard doors, grimacing slightly at the current contents. Kai meanwhile, turned to face the anatomical model. It still hadn't moved at inch, and have no indication that it ever would. Still, there was something suspicious about it.

"Ehh... nothing but dead bugs..." Tohko groaned, shutting the cupboard doors. "Alright... let's check the back," Kai said, leading her towards the tables at the back of the room, making sure to keep looking back at the front every couple seconds. The two walked through the tables, not finding anything other than a few corpses, before finding their prize resting against the wall.

"Finally!" Tohko sighed with relief as she picked up the yellowing fourth instalment of Naho's notes. "Come on! Lemme see!" Kai ordered, peering over her shoulder. "Alright! Hang on," Tohko muttered, holding up the paper so they could both read it.

 _ **Kibiki, I'm so sorry... My readings were far too broad, and my interpretations of them overly naive. This place is not the simple plane of spirits I'd previously surmised it to be. If we don't get out of here a.s.a.p., we'll be in real danger. I th***** **** *e **** ** ge* b*** ea**** ******* *** 'way out' str***** * **ta****, *** ***** chil* ****its *** bou** ***e in a v*** parti***ar ******. I* ***** be qu*** ** **mp** ** ac*****. Doing so will me** ********* *** *alici*** **iri** that dw*** **** ** ***ock *** *ate that cu** ******* **e plan** ****, **** t* *** ***** ** **ow. ***** **** **chniq** ******* ********** ***s ********* *ould be unima******y dange****. ******* ** tel***g **** mi*** ******. I intend to continue my inve****ation until a more reliable method is found. Until then, please, PLEASE be safe... I want to see you again, Kibiki. More than anything. I want to feel you stroke my hair...**_

"What the hell is this..." Kai muttered, rubbing his chin. "A lot is blocked out with... ink..." Tohko began. "But I guess this means that the method Kibiki knew might not be all that reliable..." she finished. Kai sighed and stepped back, rubbing the back of his head. "Jesus fuck... this place always wants us to take the long route..." he grumbled. "So I guess we gotta find Sachiko's tongue and appease her to get out..."

"Yeah, looks like it..." Tohko sighed, letting the paper fall back to the floor. "Say, ain't we forgetting something?" She asked. Kai furrowed his brow in thought. "Nah... I don't think we..." he began. Then, it simultaneously clicked for both of them. What they had forgotten. Eyes wide, the two turned their heads towards the front of the room.

The anatomical model had moved several steps forward.

The seconds passed slowly as Tohko and Kai stared at the covered being. After what felt like an eternity, Tohko lightly nudged Kai to the right, towards the open door. Instinctively, he shifted his gaze towards the door.

"RRRRRRAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

With an ear-splitting screech, the anatomical model sprinted towards Kai, covering the distance between them in just a few seconds. "GHH?!" Kai gasped as the model slammed into him, pushing his back against the wall. "Grrr... damn it..." he cursed as he lifted his hands and caught the model's fists, trying to push it away. Unfortunately, the model used it's height to force Kai down towards the floor, his back sliding down the wall.

"W-What?! Shimada!" Tohko yelled as she ran up to the two. Grabbing the anatomical model's shoulders, she tried to pull it back and give Kai the space to escape. Unfortunately, all she managed to do was tug the sheet off. "Waaa!" She exclaimed, falling on her back, the sheet lying next to her. Shaking her head, she looked back towards the model, and let out a scream.

The anatomical model was now facing her, completely revealed, with Kai on the floor, slowly getting back to his feet. Other than a pair of grey trousers that had been hacked off at the knees, the model was naked. The entire left side had been skinned, exposing muscles and even bone in some places. In stark contrast, the other half was completely fine, making it look as if someone had cut two different bodies in half and slammed two of the halfs together. It's eyes were completely crimson, filled with nothing but pain and rage, startlingly similar to Yoshikazu.

"EEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" The anatomical model screamed, taking several quick steps towards Tohko. "No... No..." Tohko gasped, hurriedly shuffling backwards. The model's mouth was now open, it's tongue hanging out like a rabid dog as it walked towards it's prey. Then, it felt a slight tap on it's back. Turning around, the model had enough time to see a pair of purple eyes before a fist obscured it's view.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" The monster yelled in pain as it took a step back, clutching it's face. Kai then reached forward, grabbed it by the shoulders, and shoved the model aside, sending it crashing into a nearby table. "Come on, we gotta get the fuck outta here!" Kai said, holding his hand out to Tohko, who gratefully took his hand, and pulled herself up. The two quickly ran towards the still open door, only for it to slam shut just as they were about to pass through.

"No no no no..." Kai muttered as he tried to force the door open. "Tch... GOD DAMMIT!" He yelled, kicking the door in frustration. "Uhh, Kai? What do we do?!" Tohko desperately asked, looking back in fear as the anatomical model got back to its feet. "Shit... look around! Maybe there's a key or something!" The redhead ordered. "But... What about...?" Tohko asked. To her surprise, Kai pushed her aside lightly, then turned to face the anatomical model. "You go searching!" He said.

"I'll deal with this fuck..."

"RRRRRAAAAAHHHHHHHHGGGGGGGG!" The model screamed as it sprinted towards Kai, who stood his ground and raised his fists, his irises pulsing violet. "Go! Find something!" Kai yelled as the model ran into him, pushing him back against the door. Gulping, Tohko hurriedly left the two and began searching for something of use. Noticing the teacher's desk next to the podium, she opened the drawers and began shifting through them.

"So! You found shit?!" Kai asked as he managed to push the model off him, before tackling it to the ground and pinning it down whilst it thrashed and screamed. Tohko continued looking for a few seconds, before shaking her head in disappointment, l. "Sorry, but no!" She replied, shutting the door and running over to the tables. "Maybe there's something over here!" She said, checking all the tables. "Just hurry up and-WHOA!" Kai shouted as the anatomical model threw him off and got to it's feet.

"Come on... Come on..." Tohko muttered as she looked around desperately. There didn't seem to be anything that seemed over remotely useful. Then, she caught sight of a corpse, slouching in a chair in the corner. There, clutched tightly in it's skeletal claw, was a small key, with a tag that read: SCIENCE LAB.

"Oh thank God!" Tohko exclaimed as she dashed over to the corpse. Doing her best to ignore the fact that she was touching a long dead body, she grabbed the hand and pryed the fingers away until she could grab the key from it's clasp. "Yes! A key!" She said, holding the key up in victory. "Nice one, Kirisaki!" She heard Kai reply.

"Ooooooooohhhhhhh... aaaaaahhhhhhhhhh..."

A cold chill ran down her back. She knew that voice. Her face pale and clammy, Tohko turned around slowly. Standing before her was the reanimated form of Yoshikazu, glaring down at her with his soulless, blood-red eyes. "Aaaaahhhhh... AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" He suddenly screamed, lifting his always present sledgehammer. "AAHH!" Tohko yelped, throwing herself to the side. There was a sickening crunch as the hammer smashed the skull of the corpse apart, causing bits to fly everywhere. Tohko quickly ran past Yoshikazu before he could lift his weapon for another strike. "Shimada! It's Yoshikazu!" She shouted, running towards the door.

"WHERE THE FUCK DID HE COME FROM?!" Kai yelled in frustration, stumbling around with the anatomical model now glued to his back, trying to get it's hands around his neck. Tohko ran past the two and went straight for the door. To her immense relief, the key slotted cleanly into the lock, and turned without a hitch. Throwing the door wide open, she turned back and yelled, "Come on! Let's go!"

By now, Yoshikazu had made his way through the mass of tables, and had noticed Kai grappling with the model in the centre of the room. Recognising the redhead, Yoshikazu breathed heavily through his nostrils like a bull, before tensing his legs, getting ready to sprint. "Don't worry! I'm just... coming!" Kai said, trying to shake the anatomical model off him.

"OOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Hearing that all too familiar scream, Kai turned to see Yoshikazu sprinting at him full speed, his hammer raised over his head. "Fuck this shit!" Kai exclaimed, grinding his teeth as he reached behind him and grabbed the anatomical model by the shoulders before proceeding to _lift it over his head and throw it at Yoshikazu._

"EEEEHHHHHHH!" Both the model and Yoshikazu screamed as they slammed into each other and crashed to the floor in a pile of limbs. "Don't screw with me, fuckboys!" Kai yelled at them, before turning and making his way to Tohko, who stood staring at the felled demons in shocked silence. "How... What..." she gasped. "Come on! I've had enough of this room for one lifetime!" Kai said as he grabbed her by the arm and, ignoring her protests, dragged her out and away from the room, making sure to lock the door on his way out.

(Later)

"Kay... think we're far away enough..." Kai muttered, standing in one of Heavenly Host's many halls. "Don't ever... drag me... again..." Tohko gasped, sitting against a wall, desperately trying to catch her breath. "Sure, whatever," Kai replied, leaning against the same wall. "Anyways, now we can guess that appeasing Sachiko is the safest way to get out," he said. Tohko looked up at him and raised an eyebrow, causing Kai to roll his eyes. "You know what I mean..."

"But... why would Naho... lie?" Tohko asked, slowly getting to her feet as her stamina returned. "I sure as hell don't know," Kai admitted. "Which is why we gotta go talk to her..." he finished, a dark grin on his face. "But... How are we going to do that?" Tohko asked uncertainly. "Trust me..." Kai said, shoving his hands in his pockets and walking forward, his eyes briefly flashing a noticeably dark shade of purple, bordering on outright crimson.

"I'm gonna find that bitch..."

A/N

Advice: Do not piss off a Kai Shimada. Especially a Kai Shimada that has been super charged by a mysterious sinister entity to achieve great spiritual prowess. Failure to heed this advice will likely result in death. Even if you're already dead.

Happy Boxing Day lads! I was hoping to post this on Christmas Day, but things got in the way and I couldn't finish it. Oh well, hope this still satisfies. Next episode, Kai and Tohko finally confront Naho about her true intentions... I'm rather looking forward to writing it, if I do say so myself...

See you all in the next and hopefully last year of Byakudan High!

A/N


	28. CHAPTER 5 (11)

CHAPTER 5 (11)

"Huh, that was easier than I thought..." Kai said, sliding open the door to classroom 1-A. "Yeah, I would have expected it to be locked or something..." Tohko muttered, hesitantly following as Kai walked into the room. "...but it's almost like we were meant to come here..." Kai furrowed his brow at this, but didn't say anything as he walked further into the room.

"Uhh, what exactly are we looking for?" Tohko asked, looking around the decaying classroom. "Naho's notes, or, better yet, the bitch herself..." Kai grumbled, as he began investing the room, starting with the cupboard right across from him. "Ehh... Okay..." Tohko said, turning her attention to the teacher's desk in the corner of the room. Passing the teacher's podium, she glanced at it, and, to her surprise, there seemed to be etchings on it, almost like writing. However, it quickly became apparent that it was too aged to properly read, and the writing she could read (something about a Yui?) was horribly sloppy. Sighing in disappointment, she continued walking to the teacher's desk, and began shifting through the drawers, looking for something of interest. The two continued, working in silence, until Tohko glanced over at Kai. Biting her lip, she thought for awhile, before opening her mouth and asking a question that had been on her mind for a little while now.

"Who's Aiko?"

Kai flinched. "...What?" He asked, not facing her. "Earlier, you said I was acting like a hysterical version of Aiko? Who is she?" Tohko asked. Kai kissed his teeth in annoyance. "I don't fucking know..." he grumbled. "Just popped in my head... and I said it... nothing to it..." Tohko furrowed her brow. "But... you said it so confidently... like you kne-"

"I told you, nothing!" Kai said, this time with more force as he closed the cupboard. "This didn't have jack shit. You finished over there?" He asked. Tohko sighed, knowing he wouldn't answer her questions any time soon. "Yeah... I'm done..." she said, rounding the table and walking over to him.

 _But I am so asking him about this later..._

"Alright, let's check the back now," Kai said, walking towards the back of the classroom, where most of the tables were stationed. Tohko followed him and helped to search the maze of rotting furniture, though very little of use seemed to be around. "Hey! I found... something..." Kai said, crouching a few tables away. "Huh. What is it?" Tohko asked, walking up to him and peered over his shoulder. In his hands was...

... a blank piece of paper.

"Uhh... Quite the... find?" Tohko said, hesitantly. "Don't get smart..." Kai replied. "There's something odd about this paper... it feels like... the darkening..." he explained. "The darkening? I remember a few of the victims notes mentioning that, but what is it?" Tohko asked. Kai hesitated slightly, before answering with,"The same shit that fucked up Kizami." Tohko gulped, and resolved never again to ask about the darkening.

"Wait... What?!" Kai suddenly yelled, standing up, staring at the paper in shock. "Wha?! What is it?!" Tohko asked, looking around him at the paper. "What's going..." she trailed off, her eyes growing wider. Letters, words, sentences were appearing on the table, almost as if they were being written right now, at that very moment.

 _ **I can smell him. I'm getting closer. Soon, I'll be with him again... My consciousness is fading. My hands are jet black. But I'm all right. I'll be with him again soon, after all...**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **I found you, Kibiki. I found the room you ran to. Wait for me.**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **I missed you. I'm going to hug you now.**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **E͡ve͍̫̦̖ry̜t̯͈͕̣̝̕h̠͉͕͈̺̤įn̝̯̤̻̞ͅg̷̭̗̖̤͙̺ ̝̰͓̫h͏̰̜̖̙a̸̪̼s̪͍̻͙̘͎ ҉͍̼g̬͔̳ọ̥̮̗̲n̛̼e͏ ͎͖̬̞̩̝d̨a̧͓̥r̟̞͙k̥͕̝̤̰. ̲M͏̙̰̭̬̱͎̮y̘̝̟͓͜ ̟̱͚̩b̴͇͙̤̘o͚̱̪͎̠̪̤d̸̤̦̞̙͓̖̝y̬̣͇̲ ̵̱i͈͔͎̜̻̬s̷̱̰̣̜ ̙̞̰͇̥̙a͓̻̗ ̝͇͉̳̘̘̗b͔̳͇ͅl̻̟͇̯̱a̜̖c̘̝̱͔̥k ̷m̗̝̟͜ḭ̳́s̜̮̙ṭ̳̫.͚͉̫̪̳**_

"What the fuck..." Kai said, eyes wide with horror as the paper fell from his grasp and fluttered gently to the floor. "This... this is..." Tohko muttered, taking a few steps back. "Kirisaki... I think this... these, are the last parts of Naho's notes," Kai said, hand to his forehead as he went over everything in his head. "Naho's notes? N-Now that you mention it..." Tohko began. "It does mention Kibiki, but, it looks like she..." She trailed off.

By now, the writing on the paper had disappeared. Kai stared down at the sheet, mulling things over in his mind. "Shimada, what do we do now?" Tohko asked. Kai remained silent for a few seconds, before turning to face his friend. "We find Naho. And we get her to talk." Tohko nodded in response. "Yeah, let's do it," she said. Reaching down, Kai grabbed the paper from the floor, before leading Tohko out of the room and on another quest for the dead.

(Later)

"Reference... room..." Kai mused as he looked at the sign outside the door. "I don't think I've ever seen this room before," Tohko said, cautiously peering behind her. "Me neither," Kai agreed. "Guess that it got moved around during one of the earthquakes or something..." he pondered. Grabbing the handle, he hesitated, before sliding the door open.

She was here.

That feeling, that chill... Kai definitely recognized it. "Well? Are you going to come in or not?" A bland, mocking voice echoed from within. "Naho..." Tohko whispered. Narrowing his eyes, Kai stepped forward and looked around.

The room was covered with rusting metal shelves, so much so that in some places it was hard to even see the walls. Within them lay hundreds of records, information on students, lessons, everything a teacher would need.

Naho was standing to Kai and Tohko's right as they entered the room. She was peering though the shelves, an expressionless gaze in her dead, lifeless eyes. Upon hearing their entrance, she turned to face the Byakudan duo, giving a sly smile. "Hello again, Kirisaki, Shimada..." she said, bowing politely. "It's been some time, hasn't it?" She asked, tilting her head slightly. Tohko bit her lip uncertainly as she looked back at Naho, whilst Kai simply glared at her, his expression stern and intimidating. "Oh? Giving me the silent treatment I see?" Naho asked, her smile growing broader. "Come on, you're hurting my feelings!"

"Enough games," Kai said as he began walking towards Naho. Tohko, as if sensing the growing anger within her friend, followed, but made sure to stay a few steps back. Coming to a stop just barely shy of walking into her, Kai leant forward so his face was meat inches from Naho's face. "No more lies, and no more tricks," he warned, his eyes flashing a dark violet. "You tell me what I wanna hear. Plan. And. SIMPLE."

Naho gave him a mocking grin as she drew even closer. Their noses were practically touching. "Lies? What ever do you mean?" She asked. Kai ground his teeth furiously, trying his best not to lash out. "You know exactly what I fucking mean..." he growled. "What's this Sachiko in the Everafter bull!? And why did you put the wrong instructions on the blog?!" He demanded. Naho raised her eyebrows slightly, mildly surprised. Soon after however, she lowered her head, a grin on her lips.

"Pff... Hahaha..." She chuckled darkly, her shoulders shaking slightly. "Ehh?! What's so funny?!" Kai asked. Naho didn't answer. She just covered her mouth as her sinister laughter quickly descended into a fit of mad giggles. "Hehehe! Hahaha!" Finally, she lifted her head up and straightened her back, looking Kai in the eye. Shocked, the redhead instinctively took a step back.

"HEHEHE! HAHAHAHA!" Naho cackled, her eyes buggy and wide as her mouth stretched into a disturbingly large smile. "N-Naho?!" Tohko gasped, watching everything from afar. "Ahahaha! You fucking retards! You guys were doomed from the God damn start!" Naho laughed, taking a step forward so she was once more face to face with Kai. The latter flinched, but held his ground as Naho shoved her grinning face into his. She was almost unrecognizable from the girl she had been a few seconds ago.

"You dumbasses seriously just trusted some shit of the net? Talk about stupid..." Naho said, relishing in Kai's barely silent anger. "No... it was that girl... what was her name again?" Naho asked, pretending to think, before smiling again, as if the answer came to her. "Oh yeah! Emi Urabe! Such a bitch to just rush into a charm like this one!"

Kai's eyes dropped several shades in colour.

"YOU FUCKING BITCH!" He screamed, as he pulled back slightly, lifted his leg, and swung his foot around in a round-house kick, aiming for Naho's head. However, the girl turned into a cloud of black smoke the second his foot made contact with her. "What the-?! Kai gasped as the fog swarmed around him and pooled back together behind him.

"You wanna know why I put up the wrong information? Do you, _Kaiii... Tohkooo..._?" Naho asked as she reformed between the two, stretching out the duos' first names as much as she could. Tohko hesitated, backing away slightly, before gulping hard. "So you... admit?" She asked, her voice shaking. Naho glared at her. "Obviously. Weren't you listening?" She replied. "Enough!" Kai shouted, slamming his foot down hard to get their attention. "Tell us why you've been fucking with everyone!"

"Why?" Naho asked, turning slightly towards him. Her expression was now strangely serene and calm, and a soft smile grazed her lips. "I did it for him..." she answered. "For... who?" Tohko asked. "For Mr. Kibiki!" Naho said, as if the answer was obvious. "Everything I've done... it's all for him!" She continued, her eyes unfocused, like she was picturing the man in her head, and was focusing all her thoughts on her mentor.

"Kibiki... how is this helping him?!" Kai demanded. Naho snapped out of her stupor at his words, and glared at Kai slightly. "I put the wrong instructions for the charm on my blog to draw a larger amount of people to this nexus," she explained. "That way, Kibiki would have a better chance of getting out, and a better sample for his studies!" Tohko backed away in horror. "Sample... you sent hundreds of people here to die!?" She said, her eyes wide with horror. A dark grin grew on Naho's lips. "Yes... every life... every person brought here... it's all for him..." she whispered, her smile becoming increasingly wide and unnatural. "He'll be the first to get out... I know it..."

"Heh..."

"Hmmm?" Naho said, losing her grin as she turned to face Kai. Tohko also leaned to the said to look around Naho. "Hehehe..." Kai chuckled, his eyes closed, and an amused smirk playing on his lips. "Oh? What's so funny, Shimada?" Naho asked, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I'm assuming you remember jack shit about your final moments alive, I'm guessing," Kai said. Naho let out a slight gasp. "How did you-"

"Then I'm assuming you don't know exactly what happened to Kibiki, ehh?" The redhead asked, opening his eyelids to reveal shining, bright purple eyes. "You were probably corrupted by the Darkening... in fact, you still are..." Naho's eyes widened. "T-That's-!"

"You think everything you've done is to help Kibiki... that's fucking rich!" Kai said. "You wanted to help him get out... but thanks to you, he's trapped here, along with the hundreds of people you brought here..." he finished. "Shut up! You've got a death wish, Kai Shimada!" Naho threatened, walking towards him. However, she stopped when Kai suddenly pulled a sheet of paper from his blazer pocket and held it out to her. "What's this?" She asked, confused. Kai didn't reply, just motioned for her to take it.

"I don't get what you're..." she began, before she actually started reading what was on the paper. "Wait... what... what is..." she said, her eyes slowly widening the further she read. "Don't bother. We both know what this shit is," Kai said, a grin satisfaction in his eyes. "No... No..." Naho muttered, visibly trembling as she continued reading.

"You fucking did it, Naho..."

"No... impossible..."

"You're the one who ended the one you love some much..."

"This... No... I... I..."

"You killed him..." Kai said, licking his lips as he confirmed what Naho had realized by now.

 _"You killed Kibiki."_

"Aaaaahhhhhhhh..." Naho moaned, heavily trembling as the paper fell from her grasp and floated to the floor. Inching around her towards Kai, Tohko said, "Kai, I think something's wrong with her..." Kai scoffed in response. "Please. Someone should have done this time ago," he said, standing in front of Tohko protectively.

"Aaaaahhhhhh... oooooaaaaaaaahhhhhhh..." Naho mournfully groaned, her voice shifting to a deeper tone as her pupils shrank to the point where they disappeared into the white. "Uuuuuuggggg... eeeehhhhhhkkkk!" She suddenly retched, a plume of gas, one coloured the purest of black, flew from her mouth and swarmed around Naho. "Jesus fucking Christ..." Kai muttered in horror. "W-What is this?!" Tohko asked, backing away.

By now, the gas had completely covered Naho, flying around her like a swarm of flies. There was surprisingly little noise, a fact that clashed heavily with a visible chaos. Finally, the swarm dissipated and vanished into thin air. But Naho was no longer present, almost like she'd been devoured by the gas, which, having finished it's meal, left. In her place was a small red statue. The Byakudan duo stood in silence for awhile, still reeling from the recent events, before Tohko noticed the statue.

"Is... Is that...?" She wondered, as she walked out from behind Kai. "What... Is that thing?" The latter asked. "Yuki told me to find another statue to give to Fukuroi and Mitsuki. A red one," Tohko explained, picking up the statue. Peering over her shoulder, Kai eyed up their find. It was in the shape of a human embryo, resting in a womb. He felt an odd force coming from it, however, unlike the previous statue, this one wasn't familiar to him at all.

"Hopefully they'll know what to do with this..." Tohko said, putting the statue away in her skirt pocket. A brief silence descended on the two, before Tohko spoke up again. "Well, we've solved the Naho problem, so what do we do now?" She asked, looking up at Kai. The redhead looked at her, and gave her a broad smirk, one she hadn't seen on him in what felt like ages.

"Now? Now we get the fuck outta this shit show," he said bluntly, but with a determined edge that made Tohko grin. "Yeah! Let's finally get out of this place, and never look back!" She agreed, as the two shared a smile, turned towards the door, and walked, determined to see an end to their horrific ordeal.

A/N

Now, with Naho and Morishige gone, Heavenly Host's main mysteries solved, and clear instructions ahead, it's time.

After a year of writing this story is finally ready.

For the EndGame.

A/N


	29. CHAPTER 5 (12)

CHAPTER 5 (12)

"Aww... looks like we can't even watch this one..." Mitsuki sighed, having failed her mission to remove the old tape from the player in the Custodians Closet, and jam the S-I-N one in. Fukuroi, standing by the door, shook his head. "Well, considering what the last tape showed, I'd be lying if I said I'm not a little bit relived," he admitted, grimacing as he remembered the gruesome details of the previous tape recording.

"Well, what do we do now?" Mitsuki asked, pocketing the now useless tape and facing Fukuroi. "Hmm. I'm not certain..." The bespectacled boy pondered, rubbing his chin like a detective considering a particularly difficult case. "What about that statue Kai and Kirisaki gave us?" He asked. "Oh? This?" Mitsuki said, reaching into her skirt pocket and pulling out the grey figure. "Ahh yes," Fukuroi confirmed, walking over to her. "What on Earth could we use this for?" He wondered, gazing at the goat-headed, bowing man depicted.

"I don't know, but it's definitely important, especially if a spirit told us to have it," Mitsuki said, once more putting it away. "Well then," she began. "I guess it's back to aimlessly wondering around again!" She finished, grinning cheekily, which Fukuroi returned with a small smile. "Heh, my favourite thing to do..." he chuckled as the two walked out of the room and started the latest of countless quests for answers.

(Elsewhere)

"Glgh?!" Tohko gasped as something suddenly tugged at her collar, stopping her in her tracks. Turning around, she readied herself, only to be greeted by an exasperated looking Kai. "W-What was that for?!" She demanded. "You're daydreaming too God damn much," the redhead replied. Tohko huffed slightly. "I'm not daydreaming at all!" She insisted. Kai raised an eyebrow.

"Then why were you about to walk to your death?"

Frowning, Tohko turned around, and immediately jumped back with a gasp. Mere centimetres away was the beginning of a seven meter abyss, so deep that it was impossible to see the bottom. "So yeah, you were daydreaming," Kai stated. "Okay okay! Maybe I was thinking a little..." Tohko admitted, crossing her arms. "About what?" Kai asked. Sighing, the girl looked off to the side, before letting her arms fall limply to her sides.

"I was... thinking about Naho..." she eventually said. Kai grimaced. "What... about her?" He asked. Tohko closed her eyes as she wrapped her arms around herself, turning away from her friend slightly. "Not just her... I was thinking about someone else..." she muttered. "Oh? Who else?" Kai asked. Tohko looked up at him, a sudden broken look in her eyes.

"... Yuuya..."

Immediately after hearing that name, Kai flinched, almost like he'd just been slapped. Images of a lifeless corpse, a knife in it's back, and a small, dying smile forced their way into his mind's eye. Grinding his teeth, Kai narrowed his eyes slightly. "Why you thinking 'bout them, ehh?" He asked, his voice low and rough. Tohko held his gaze for a few seconds, her mouth open to reply, when suddenly, she closed her mouth, and forced her head down, her figure trembling slightly. "Huh? What's u-?" Kai began, only for his eyes to widen as Tohko suddenly fell to her knees, her hands covering her face, her shoulders lurching as she sobbed inconsistently.

"H-Hey! What's wrong?!" Kai asked, quickly getting down to her level. Tohko just shook her head fiercely in reply, and carried on shaking. "Tch! Come on, Kirisaki! What's up?!" He said, only to be rewarded with more crying.

 _Shit... What the fuck do I do!? How the hell do I calm her down?! I ain't got no experience with this crap!_

 _Wait, maybe I should go for the softer approach... Cry'n girls like the caring sensitive shit, right?_

Balling her hands into fists, Tohko continued her weeping, until she felt two hands wrap around her wrist, slowly, gently. "Tohko..." She froze. This was the first time Kai had used her first name. He said it so softly, his voice taking a noticeable dip in pitch compared to his usual shrill shouts. "Come on... What's wrong? You can tell me," He quietly said, delicately removing Tohko's hands from her face, revealing her tear-stained appearance. She let out a sigh, gazing into her lap.

"How can people like them... lie so easily?" She said. "Hmm? What do you mean?" Kai asked. "The Yuuya that was our friend, and the Naho that was my idol..." Tohko began, her eyes growing distant in remembrance. "... They were both fake. It makes me wonder... Is that something everyone can do? Just completely lie about who they are? Just deceive everyone, without a hint of guilt!?" She said, her voice raising, tears streaming anew. Kai just knelt in front of her, still holding her hands, his face expressionless as he recalled all the interactions with Yuuya. She was right. Most of them had been a complete lie. A facade.

 _Excluding the murdering kittens part..._

And Naho, who'd appeared as a helper to guide them out of the hell that was Heavenly Host Elementary School, but revealed herself to be the reaper sent to keep them there. She too, had been mostly a mocking illusion.

"I don't know..." Tohko continued. "If I'll ever truly trust anyone... ever again..." She finished in a whisper, looking almost ashamed as she locked her gaze downwards. Her expression changed however, as Kai suddenly stood up, pulling her up with him. "Sh-Shimada?" She asked, noting his serious expression. The man let go of her hands, but put his left on her shoulder as he stared her in the eye.

"Listen, Kirisaki," he began. "Those two lied like a fucking bitch, and we... you... really got hit by it. I totally get how you feel. After seeing a whole persona get faked, who knows what else can be?" He asked, his grin momentarily breaking his stern look. "For all I know, that A-grade rack could be fake," he teased. "Eww... Idiot..." Tohko said, pushing him lightly, but she couldn't stop a small smile from forming on her lips.

"But what I'm gonna tell ya, it's gonna be one hundred percent true. I swear it," Kai said, his playful smirk gradually mellowing into a softer, more sincere smile. "Everything I've done for you in here, watching your back, keeping you safe, and making sure that we all get back out alive... I'd do all that shit again, just to make sure that you're gonna survive this, and have a great life. No matter what, I've got your back. And I always will."

Lowering her eyelids, Tohko lay her hand on Kai's which was still resting on her shoulder. "Thank you... Kai..." She said, an extremely faint, red tinge to her cheek, as she looked down at their linked hands, her own small smile making her seem all the more brighter.

"Kai? Kirisaki? Is that you?"

"GHH!" The two yelled as they immediately sprung apart like the other hand turned to hot metal. Looking across the gap, they could see Fukuroi and Mitsuki looking at them curiously. "F-Fukuroi! The fuck are you doing here?!" Kai demanded, his face beet red. "I think we should be asking that question to you two..." Mitsuki said, raising her eyes. "I-It was nothing!" Tohko sputtered, her face equally as red. Mitsuki and Fukuroi shared a look, before shaking their heads.

"Okay, moving on," Fukuroi said, a hidden smile on his face. "Have you two found anything new about escaping the school?" He asked. "Yeah, we have," Tohko said, her cheeks returning to a normal shade. "It turns out that the one who sent us here, was... Naho Saenoki."

"Naho... Saenoki... Wait, the paranormal investigator?" Mitsuki asked. "Huh? Who's that?" Fukuroi asked. "It's a long story, we'll tell you later..." Kai said, eyes instinctively darkening. "Point is, we gotta appease Sachiko in order to get out."

"Alright, who do we do that?" Mitsuki asked. There was a moment of silence as the four considered this question, before Tohko spoke up. "Maybe... we have to find something of hers, like with the others..." Kai mulled it over in his head. "Huh... makes sense..." he eventually replied.

"Okay, so try and find something that Sachiko might have? What would that be?" Fukuroi pondered. Kai thought for a few seconds, before his face lit up, remembering something. "Oh yeah. That reminds me," he said before turning to Tohko. "Pass the statue." Nodding, Tohko unzipped her skirt pocket and pulling out the embryo statue, giving it to Kai. "Here," he said, tossing it across the entire gap, where it landed in Fukuroi's fumbling arms.

"Jeez! I didn't know you could throw so far so easily, Kai!" Fukuroi said in surprise. "Uhh... Yeah..." The former muttered, sharing a glance with Tohko, before clearing his throat. "Anyway, we found that statue, earlier. I guess it has something to do with the other one," he said. Fukuroi looked over the statue, before nodding and slipping it in his pocket.

"Well, if that's it, then should we start looking?" Mitsuki asked. "Yeah," Tohko agreed. "If we find anything, then try to find this place again, so we can meet up," she finished, with the others giving words of agreement. "Sure. You two stay safe, alright?" Kai said to the two across the gap. "Of course. You too," Fukuroi returned, giving him a firm nod. "Well, good luck..." Tohko said, reluctantly waving and turning around, soon followed by Kai. "See you in a bit!" Mitsuki replied, sounding more like a reassurance than a goodbye, before hesitantly walking away with Fukuroi.

"Why is it I always get a bad feeling whenever I see them leave..." Mitsuki muttered, looking back to see Kai and Tohko had already disappeared. "Don't worry, Mitsuki," Fukuroi comforted. "Kai and Kirisaki are both too stubborn to let anything happen to them," he said, before looking at Mitsuki, a smile on his face. "Kind of like a certain someone I know."

Mitsuki looked up at him, her eyebrows and lips raised. "What that supposed to mean, Mr. President?" She asked. Fukuroi chuckled slightly. "Don't worry, it's a compliment," he said. Mitsuki grin grew slightly, as she punched him on the arm lightly. "Thanks..." she whispered, the all consuming darkness of Tenjin suddenly seeming slightly less intimidating.

(Later)

"Say, ya know what we're even looking for?" Kai asked, after about two minutes of walking. "Umm... tongues?" Tohko suggested, resulting in a grimace from Kai. "Again? Christ, I don't know if I'll ever see a tongue without getting fucking shakes..." he groaned. "Yeah, you and me both..." Tohko agreed. "Though, this does raise a question..." she said.

"Hmm? What?" Kai asked. "Sachiko wasn't killed by Yoshikazu," Tohko began. "So how did she end up here, if she's meant to be alive and older than us?" Kai frowned. "Shit... I didn't think of that..." he muttered, his eyes narrowing. "Hmph. You think Fukuroi and Yamamoto are gonna get that?" He asked. "Yeah, probably..." Tohko said.

"Well, whatever. I've had my fair share of mysteries for a lifetime..." Kai dismissed, waving his hand as if he was throwing the case away. "It would still be nice to know though!" Tohko replied. "Not for me. I just wanna appease this bitch and get outta this fucking underworld," Kai said, focusing on the corridor ahead of him. Tohko sighed, puffing out her cheeks as they continued on.

"I guess so, but-"

 _ **Hee hee...**_

"It's still seems like-"

"Wait," Kai said, his eyes wide as he stopped dead in his tracks. "Huh? What is it?" Tohko asked, coming to a stop a few steps ahead. "Didn't you hear that?" Kai asked, straining his ear. "It kinda sounded like a-"

 _ **Ahaha...**_

"There it is!" Kai said, suddenly dashing forward at, to him, a light jog, to Tohko, a full on sprint. "Where's what?! Hey! Shimada!" Tohko yelled, running after him. "Why do you keep running after weird stuff?!" She shouted at Kai, who was already several meters ahead of her. "Come on, come on, come on..." Kai muttered, keeping his ears open for any sound, before he noticed something strikingly white around the corner up ahead, fluttering like some kind of fabric.

 _ **He he...**_

Sliding to a halt just in time to avoid slamming into the wall, Kai turned and lifted his head, and, for a split second, he saw what looked like a young girl, with black hair, dressed in a dress so white it lit up the entire hallway. Oddly, there was something familiar about the girl's face. Something that not only rang a bell with Kai's memory, but also chilled his spine, like someone dumping ice filled water down his back. Unfortunately, before he could get any close look, the girl simply faded out of existence, leaving just an empty space. Frowning, Kai moved deeper into the corridor, which only went on for about twenty more metres. Other than the occasional corpse, which he had now (disturbingly) gotten used to, the corridor seemed to be barren of anything intriguing, until he reached the end.

"What the hell..." Kai whispered, examining the lower portion of the wall to his left. It appeared to be a long, rusted, silver opening, clearly not opened in decades. Laying his hand on the handle jutting out, Kai pulled for a few seconds, before the door swung open. Immediately, the thick smell of coal smacked him in the face, sending him stumbling back, coughing. "Ack! Ghhh... Ain't nobody cleaned that shit in years..." he choked, thumping his chest. "Ahhh... Ehhck! Guess it's an incinerator or something..."

"Kai! There you... are!" Tohko panted as she stumbled around the corner, having finally caught up. "Why do you... always run after... things without waiting for... me!" She gasped, making her way over to Kai, opening her mouth to continue, before the smell hit her nostrils. "Eck! What's that?!" She asked, covering her nose, before noticing the wide open door in the wall which Kai was currently peering into. "Is that... an incinerator?" She asked.

"Yeah... looks like it..." Kai said, looking deeper in, having barely got used to the smell. "Odd, this thing's pretty fucking big..." he mused. "I could probably fit in this no prob-"

 _ **Closer...**_

Kai flinched. That voice... it was coming from inside the incinerator. "Huh? What's up?" Tohko asked, noticing her friend's sudden stiffness. "... I think something's in there," Kai eventually said. "Ehh?! What?!" Tohko exclaimed. "What could possibly be in there?" She asked, kneeling down and peering in. "I don't know..." Kai began, suddenly getting on all fours and crawling into the dark space. "... but I know it really wants me," he finished.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Tohko yelled after him, her eyes wide with surprise. Kai stopped and turned to face her. "You got any other leads?" He asked. Tohko thought for a second. "No? Then let's go!" Kai said, continuing on. Tohko continued to splutter for a few seconds, before finally sighing and reluctantly crawling in after Kai.

The space was wide, but eventually narrowed down into a medium sized chute, which while making it easier not to get lost, did make Tohko feel slightly cramped in. On top of that, all light had completely disappeared by this point, leaving them in total darkness. "You know where you're going?" She hesitantly asked Kai, who she could hear slightly ahead of her. "No idea," Kai admitted, prompting a groan from Tohko. "Cool it," he said. "I'm sure we-"

 _ **I'm over here...**_

"Huh?! There it is!" Kai said, shuffling forward at a faster pace. "There's what?! Where are we going!?" Tohko yelled, crawling fast to keep up. "Come on... Come on..." Kai muttered. He could feel it. Something big was in this space. Not mass big, but in terms of spiritual energy, he could feel it coming off in waves. It chilled him to to bone, sending off splintering vibes of heat and darkness. Yet for some reason, it beckoned him towards it. Opened its arms for him. It seemed so... intriguing...

 _Whatever you are... I swear I'm gonna find-_

The ground disappeared.

"Wah?! AAAAHHHHHHHH!" Kai screamed as he suddenly fell forward head first into a pit. Tohko, who was right behind him, heard the scream just as her hands pressed down onto pure air. "What?! Wait! AAAAAAHHHHH!" With an identical scream, she too plummeted down the downwards tunnel, their shared screams quickly becoming lost in the maze of chutes and dead ends.

 _ **Hee hee hee... Come play with me, Kai-sama~**_

(?)

 _RING!RING!_

 _RING!RING!_

 _RING!RI-_

"What, what, fucking what?! What you fucking calling me for, bitch!?"

"..."

"The hell do you-!"

"..."

"Her classmates are erased? All of them?"

"..."

"And she hasn't got back yet?"

"..."

"... Tch... FUCK! The fucking retarded peasant just had to get herself killed! Even if she is still alive, she ain't ever getting out! BITCH!

"..."

"Well, now what the fuck are we gonna go?"

"..."

"Another school...?"

"And they haven't been erased yet?"

"..."

"Huh..."

"Alright... you stay at Kisaragi, I'll check out this other place."

"..."

"Because I fucking said so, Shitbitch!"

"..."

"Whatever, call me if anything shows up. Later."

 _BEEP._

A/N

Wow oh wow! What an ending! What on Earth could possibly happen?!

 _The announcer? I thought I got rid of you._

None shall stop me in my quest to announce and narrate!

 _Oh please. We both know I have the better narrative voice._

... You didn't have to say it aloud...

 _Whatever. Anyways, our reminding four survivors are on a mission, but things seem to be getting complicated. Where will the chute lead them? What does The Girl in Red (White?) want with Kai? And just what is the role of this mysterious figure, watching everything from afar? I suppose only time will tell... but time is short... and soon, some answers will come light... and others... Well, you'll just have to see._

 _Until next time..._

 _Told you I was the better narrator._

A/N


	30. CHAPTER 5 (13)

CHAPTER 5 (13)

"Is it me, or does this look... like an embryo?" Fukuroi asked, looking curiously at the red statue in his hands as he walked forward. Mitsuki turned her attention away from the corridor ahead and looked over. "Huh. I guess it does," she agreed, after observing the object for a few seconds. "Does it mean anything?"

Fukuroi sighed, before pocketing the small statue. "I assume that's what we're supposed to find out," he said, before asking, "What about the other statue?" Mitsuki pulled the winged, goat-headed figure out of her skirt pocket, and looked at it. "I don't even know what this is supposed to be..." she admitted, looking the odd carving up and down.

"Hmm... actually, I think I've seen something like it before! In a lesson on... European history!" Fukuroi suddenly exclaimed. "Ehh? Really!?" Mitsuki said. "Well then what?!" She asked eagerly. Fukuroi rubbed his forehead in concentration as he tried to remember.

"It was a... a... something to do with the Knights Templars, I believe..." he muttered, scrolling through his memory banks. "The name was... B... Bap... Ahhh! I can't remember!" He finally said in frustration, letting his arms drop down to his sides in defeat. "I'm sure Kai would know, he's far more versed in European history than me."

"Hmm. Well, I guess we'll figure it out later," Mitsuki said, putting the mysterious statue back in her pocket. "For now, let's just see if we can find anything that maybe goes with the statue, like a pedestal." Fukuroi nodded in agreement, and the two walked in a silence for awhile, broken only by the occasional attempt to open a new door they had come across. Oddly, all the doors they tried seemed to be part of the wall themselves, even if they'd used them before, and may as well have been painted on, leaving them no choice but to continue on.

Eventually, the duo came to a corner leading right, and automatically started turning in that direction. However, out of the corner of his eye, Fukuroi spied something in the corner of the wall where the two corridors met.

"Mitsuki, wait," he said, stopping in his tracks and turning fully to face the corner. Mitsuki turned around to face him. "Huh? What is...?" She began, before noticing what he was looking at. It was a thin opening, pressed into the corner like an extra thin corridor. It looked like it had been added as an afterthought in the school's design, like the architect had nearly finished, then suddenly jammed it in at the last second. About the width of a door, there was just enough space for someone to traverse through it, though a group would likely have to go in a line.

"Do you... think that's where we have to go?" Mitsuki asked, looking up at Fukuroi. The bespectacled boy looked back, his expression stern. "Being here long enough, I can safely say we'll never get anywhere by sticking to the road that makes the most sense," he replied. Mitsuki sighed. "Yeah, this doesn't make much sense, does it?" She said, as she stepped forward, Fukuroi behind her as she reached the corridor, and began inching forward. Other than it's unnaturally thin structure, the hall was just like any other in the school, albeit with a noticeable lack of any corpses.

Soon, the hallway sharply turned left, soon after widening out into a normal sized corridor. Several meters ahead was a door with the sign "Infirmary" on it embedded into a wall. Strangely, there were two small pedestals, somewhat shorter than Mitsuki, standing just before the door, with circular openings in the top.

"What on Earth...?" Fukuroi muttered, his brow furrowed, deep in confusion as he steeped forward towards the right pedestal. "There's no way that this was originally in the school... right?" Mitsuki asked, taking Fukuroi's lead and investigating the left pillar. The glasses-wearing boy looked the out-of-place object up and down, eyebrow raised as he pondered its purpose. After several seconds of silent thoughts, Fukuroi reached into his pocket and pulled out the embryo statue. He looked at it's circular bottom, then at the hole in the top of the pedestal. After a seconds deliberation, he carefully lowered the statue into the space.

 _CLICK!_

"Ehh?" Mitsuki said, her attention drawn to Fukuroi as she stood straight up from examining her respective podium. "Of course..." Fukuroi muttered to himself, before turning to Mitsuki and saying, "Mitsuki! Place your statue on the whole in the centre!"

Eyebrows raised in mild surprise, Mitsuki turned back to the podium and, taking out her gray statue, pressed it into the opening.

 _CLICK!_

 _CLICK!_

The two were rewarded with an additional click, this time coming from the door in front of them. Looking at each other, before giving a firm nod, Fukuroi and Mitsuki walked forward slowly, reaching the door far quicker than either really wanted to. Flexing his slightly sweaty fingers, Fukuroi grabbed the handle, and carefully slid the door open, walking in with Mitsuki at his side.

As the sign outside had said, they found themselves in a dark, cold infirmary. The walls were lined with multiple anatomical diagrams and medical notes and advice. In the centre of the room and the top left corner were pale white curtains, with a light coming from behind the centre one. There was no visible door, other than the one they had come through, though the area to their left was particularly well hidden in shadows.

"Hmph. Homey..." Mitsuki said, grimacing slightly as she looked around. "Yes... what do you suppose that light is?" Fukuroi asked, trying to peer through the curtain to see. "Unless those glasses give you x-ray vision, we gotta go around," Mitsuki said, hands on her hips as she also spied the white curtain. Fukuroi sighed, nodded, and the two took another step into the room.

 _ **S... a...chi...**_

"AAAAAHHHHH!" Mitsuki suddenly screamed, bending over and clenching her he and in her hands. "Ehh?! Mitsuki, what's - Gggh!" Fukuroi began, before a sudden pain gripped his brain. Stumbling slightly, the young man grabbed his head and screwed his eyes shut, pain flooding his nervous system.

"What... what is this...?" Mitsuki whimpered, an identical look on her face as she straightened her back slightly. "God... damn..." Fukuroi said through clenched teeth. Forcing his eyes open, he again noticed the light through the curtains. It was a soft yellow, almost comforting in a sense. Fukuroi could swear he could feel it beckoning him over, in some strange way. Gritting his teeth, Fukuroi forced his feet to move forward. "Mitsuki! Stay... stay there!" He growled, the pain throbbing in his head growing slightly with each step he took. Mitsuki didn't reply, but instead let out a small sob. Fukuroi would have turned around to check on her, but he could barely scramble together the mental efforts to keep one leg moving in front of the other, so he would just have to pray she was doing alright.

After what felt like hours, but in reality was at most twenty seconds, Fukuroi finally managed to stagger around the curtain, and was rewarded with the sight of the light source. It was a handheld lamp, sitting on a rickety old desk, barren of anything else, bar a lone book. Jamming his right eye shut in pain, Fukuroi stumbled the last several steps before collapsing on the desk. Almost instantaneously, the wreath of pain surrounding his head lifted, and he spent a few seconds just lying on the desk, panting heavily.

When he'd recovered enough from his ordeal, Fukuroi stood up straight, wiped his brow of sweat, and picked up the book to examine it further. However, his spirits immediately dropped when he noticed the pages it was open on was blank, as were the other pages he flicked through. Frowning, he closed the book and looked at the dark green cover.

 _ **Yoshie Shinozaki**_

His brow furrowing further, Fukuroi flipped back to the page he was on originally, and nearly dropped the book in fright when he was greeted with a page full of writings, done in neat, somewhat small handwriting. Calming himself down with some deep breaths, Fukuroi began reading.

 _ **7/19/1953**_

 _ **I spoke at great length with the children again today. They're so full of life, and growing up so fast... The younger students are quiet and respectful, too. It's clear their parents love and care for them very much, and have taught them very well. But I won't be left behind! I intend to raise Sachiko with just as much love and devotion as any of them. Today is her seventh birthday. We're meeting after school and going out for dinner. I hope she likes the stuffed cat I got her.**_

 _ **Had to sort out some documents in the reference room before meeting up with Sachi. While I was working, the principal dropped by. After he and I talked for a bit, he suddenly came up to me from behind. He grabbed me and forced me down, then began unbuttoning my blouse. He'd always been so kind, lending a sympathetic ear to my problems...but today, he didn't even seem like the same man. His eyes were cold and empty. I was in such shock, I'm not even sure exactly what happened to me after that. I slipped away somehow, but he was right behind me. I only made it as far as the landing on the stairs. Just as I turned the corner, I felt him push me... The floor came at me fast, and suddenly, I found myself unable to move. I was slumped across the ground unceremoniously...**_

 _ **...and I was dead. Buckets of blood spilled out from my head. I'm sure it was hell to clean up later. I also lost control of my bowels - embarrassing, to say the least. I was slipping away...but I was pulled back by the sound of a very dear voice. Sachiko saw everything. I guess she'd come to find me... The principal closed in on her. What was he planning to do? I yelled with every ounce of my strength for him to stop...but I was dead. I had no strength. Sachiko tried to run, but she had the stride of a 7-year-old. He caught her easily. And then, before my very eyes... he strangled the life out of her. What a cruel man... He rebuttoned my shirt, then took Sachiko to the basement and buried her. He'll probably say my death was an accident, and report her as missing. I'm not a bad person. I don't deserve this. There is no redemption for what he's done...**_

"Wha... what on Earth is..." Fukuroi gasped in disbelief. _This... This..._ he thought, feeling his stomach churning as the words sank into his brain. Words of hurt, anger and sin that made him sick. Gulping heavily, he attempted to steel himself for the diary's future atrocities, and continued to read.

(Elsewhere)

 _ **Kai...**_

 _ **Kai...**_

 _ **Hee hee hee...**_

"Uuuggghhhh..." Kai groaned, his voice horse and dry. He grimaced. It seemed his throat was finally beginning to feel the consequences of going God knows how long without any water to soothe it. It was now that he noticed that he was lying on his back on the floor, a dirt floor judging by the texture pressing against his arms and neck, with his eyes closed. Cursing under his breath, his joints feeling like they were of stone, Kai moved his arms and pushed himself into a sitting position, before opening his eyes and looking around.

He appeared to be in some kind of underground structure, judging by the filthy conditions, patchwork walls and dirt floor. Specifically, he was in a corridor, which continued in both directions so far to a point were he couldn't see the end, though he did spy a few paths that branched of in other directions.

Groaning slightly, Kai get to his feet and almost lazily looked around. How had he got here again? Wasn't he in a vent with...? With... His eyes widened.

"Kirisaki!" He yelled, looking around wildly as his voice bounced around the narrow space. Nobody answered. "Ahhhh... FUCK! Not this shit again!" Kai cursed, throwing his arms up in frustration. "OI! KIRISAKI!" He screamed again. Once more, there was no reply. "Tch... God fucking damn this-!"

 _ **Ha ha ha ha...**_

"-Ehh?!" Kai stopped mid-sentence at the sound of the childish laughter penetrating the air. The redhead's eyes instinctively turned a dark violet as the ever present chill running up and down his spine grew colder and colder. His eyesight improved significantly beyond it's usual level, Kai peered forward, this time being able to see the dead end around fifty meters away from his current position. Other than that, there wasn't much else. Frowning, Kai turned to get a look behind him.

She was there.

Standing about thirty meters away was the girl from before, the one with the white dress who had led him to the incinerator. She was young, very young, and her face was completely obscured by her long, flowing black hair. Her spiritual aura was strange. It appeared that she was the source of the chills he was feeling, those awful, bone-freezing chills, yet she seemed so inviting. Kai could feel her mere presence beckoning him towards her, though whether it was some spiritual BS or just an insatiable curiosity on his part he couldn't tell.

Then, the girl in white turned and calmly walked down the corridor to her left. "Huh?" Kai said, finally finding his voice again. "Oi! Wait up kid!" He yelled as he ran after, almost immediately forgetting the girl's unnervingly familiar aura in his haste.

(Infirmary)

 _ **11/23/1975**_

 _ **Sachi's been wandering the halls. These empty halls... She kills anyone who enters. People who've heard rumors, or are just curious. She and I are both so desperately thirsty... But there's nothing we can do anymore.**_

Fukuroi swallowed, cold sweat dripping down his horrified face. A few glances at the next free pages proved the rest of the diary to be little more than a collection of scribbles, odd drawings and the word 'Sachi'. Closing his eyes, Fukuroi shivered as he placed the book down.

 _This is... Sachiko... Oh my God..._

Kai and Tohko had been right. Sachiko was responsible for the deaths of every living thing that set foot on these ground, yet the actual event that led to this wasn't even by her own doing. Taking a single, deep breath, Fukuroi opened his eyes and, with a stern, determined look on his face, pushed his slipping glasses back over his eyes.

 _This is bad. We need to get out of here now!_

 _ **"Sa...chi..."**_

Fukuroi froze as the mournful voice whispered out of nowhere. It was rough and full of gasps and wheezes, like the person was choking. But the thing that disturbed Fukuroi the most about the voice wasn't the voice itself. It was the fact that the voice was coming _less than a foot_ from where he was standing. His throat dry, the young man rolled his eyes extremely slowly over to the left, staring out of the corner of his eyes.

It was a woman, maybe a decade older than him, wearing a button-up white shirt, short, meat black hair, and sporting skin so pale that it was amazing it hadn't started to decompose yet. Fukuroi's eyes widened when they reached her neck. It was twisted, mangled, like a piece of rubber a child had mutilated out of rage. The head was just a few steps above dangling from a rope of skin.

He didn't have the courage to look at her eyes.

Very slowly, Fukuroi began walking backwards at an angle to get past the curtain behind him. The woman hadn't moved an inch. Letting out a silent breath, Fukuroi made it past the curtain, and felt the atmosphere lift slightly. Turning around, he noted that the door was open, and could see Mitsuki sitting down several feet past the frame, massaging her head. A sigh of relief escaping his lips, Fukuroi began walking at a more normal pace. As he was less than a foot from the door, he dared a glance back, just to make sure nothing was out of place.

The woman was right behind him, staring him in the face.

"Ahhh! AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Fukuroi screamed, immediately darting for the door. "Eeek!" Mitsuki squealed, jumping as the student council president suddenly burst through the door, turned around, and slammed it shut. Less than a second later, the door shook, almost like something had just smacked into it from the other side.

"W-What happened?!" Mitsuki demanded, getting to her feet. Fukuroi didn't reply at first, just leaned against the wall, panting heavily, his eyes wide as the image of those black holes, those black, bottomless pits of eyes burned itself into his retina. "Oi! Fukuroi! What happened?!" Mitsuki asked again, grabbing Fukuroi by the shoulders and shaking him. By now, Fukuroi seemed to snap out of his stupor, and looked Mitsuki in the eye with a less hysterical, but just as terrified expression.

"Kirisaki and Kai were... correct..." he said. "Sachiko is the one responsible for the child murders..." Mitsuki's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Are you serious?! I mean, I trusted them, but I didn't actually..." She muttered. "Where did you even find that out?" She asked.

"I'll explain on the way. But right now we need to find Kai and Kirisaki and get out. That's our number one priority," Fukuroi said, shaking his head slightly before moving down the hallway to exit the expansion leading to the infirmary. "Ehh? Hey! Wait, answer my question!" Mitsuki yelled as she quickly followed suit.

(?)

 _ **"What are you doing...?"**_

 _"finALy dEEM iT neCeSSaRY tO tALk to ME, DO YoU? YOu mUSt Be deSperATE..."_

 _ **"Answer the question..."**_

 _"Are yoU rEferRiNG tO mY liTTle 'avATar'... qUIte tHe spEciMen isN't hE... AbLe tO oUTsmarT tHAt paTHEtic atTEMPt aT A REPlacement foR tHe cHIld sPiRiTs..."_

 _ **"He wasn't like that before... stop it... don't touch my toys..."**_

 _"I'LL Do whAT I DAmN wEll pleAsE WiTH yOuR 'toYS'... I'vE a pLAn, oNE thAT wILl OnCE mORe GrANT Me inFluENcE oN THE mortal cOIl..."_

 _ **"STAY OUT OF MY WAY YOU FILTHY RELIC."**_

 _"QUITe thE moUTh For sUch a YoUNg oNe..."_

 _"..."_

 _"GoNE aRe YOU? hA... GO tHEn! LeT my inHEriTOr shOW yOu jUST WHo i Am..."_

A/N

Hey guys. Sorry for the longer than expected delay, but I've been more than a little busy with doing things over the recent holidays, and having to return to the _joy_ that is school. Not too sure when I can get a new chapter out, but hopefully not as long as it took this one.

A/N


	31. CHAPTER 5 (14)

CHAPTER 5 (14)

"God fuck'n damn it! HOLD UP!" Kai yelled as he ran after the girl in the white dress. It seemed to matter how fast he ran through this mad maze, the girl was always ahead of him, just allowing him a brief glance of her blinding dress as she went around the corner. Panting less out of exhaustion and more out of frustration, Kai continued his pursuit, occasionally taking note of his surroundings. The awful conditions remained the same, but occasionally he would pass a sliding door, though he was far too focused on his chase to go check. One thing he did find mildly interesting was the naked lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling, bathing the halls in a sick yellow. It occurred to him that this was the best lighting he'd been in since his arrival at the school.

After several more minutes of continuous sprinting, Kai turned a corner once more. However, this time, instead of seeing a brief flash of white fabric from around the corner several meters ahead, he saw the edge of a dress disappear through the narrow opening of a door, a little ways ahead on his right. Screeching to an immediate halt, Kai waited for a few seconds, regaining the breath he'd lost, before proceeding forward at a much slower pace.

The door wasn't open wide enough for him to see through (which prompted the question how the girl got through, especially when he hadn't heard or seen the door open or close), however, he did notice that there was a suspicious, dark red stain on the floor in front of it. Having been in Heavenly Host long enough, Kai immediately realized that the body that produced the smear of blood must have been dragged in, which did slightly dampen his confidence towards just entering the room. After a little thinking, he decided to instead just open the door slightly, and have a peek inside. Placing his nails in the tiny gap, Kai ever so slowly slid the door open an inch or so.

Almost instantly however, Kai stumbled back, covering his nose as the thick, coppery smell of fresh blood smacked him in the face. "Ughk! Jesus fucking Christ..." Kai muttered, before moving forward and, with his hand still covering his nose and mouth, placed his eye against the gap, peering into the room.

The redhead reminded in that exact same position, before his hand suddenly dropped from his face, and a few words managed to roll from his lips.

"Oh my fucking God..."

(Elsewhere)

"So, it was the the principal who killed Yoshie and Sachiko?" Mitsuki asked, as she and Fukuroi speedwalked down the dim hallway. Fukuroi nodded in confirmation.

"It seems, in truth, he was the one to blame for all of this," he said, making great strides as he moved forward, forcing the significantly shorter Mitsuki to almost jog to keep up.

"Well? Now what do we do?" Mitsuki asked.

"Well," Fukuroi began. "Now that we are aware of the true story behind Heavenly Host, it's essential that we escape it," he finished, continuing at a constant pace. "We need to find Kai and Kirisaki, and finally leave this accursed place."

"Okay, how are we gonna find them? Just wander around and pray for the best, ehh?" Mitsuki said.

"I'm not sure we'll be so lucky," Fukuroi replied, not picking up on Mitsuki's sarcastic tone. "We will need to actively search for a way to get to the other side of the school and meet up with them."

Mitsuki exhaled slightly in exhaustion. The last several hours were really starting to catch up to her. Nonetheless, she pressed on with Fukuroi, making their way through the school, a clear, new purpose in their step.

(Later)

"Huh? Oh! Mitsuki! Look at this!" Fukuroi said, having spotted something in the open area to their left, which seemed to be populated by rows and rows of rotting shoes. However, built into the far end was a door, which, as they drew closer to it, seemed to be emitting a sound not unlike rain. Glancing at each other, the two walked forward, the sound growing stronger with each step. Mitsuki lay her hand on the handle, and, after a brief hesitation, slid it open.

To their surprise, Mitsuki and Fukuroi found themselves facing a long walkway, to the right of which was some kind of field, bordered by a thick forest. It was also raining unnaturally heavy, the two becoming drenched in mere seconds, despite not having stepped through the doorway, as well as cover from the walkway roof.

"Elch!" Mitsuki said, stumbling back as she covered her eyes. "It's like a monsoon out there!"

"Tch... True! But we have nowhere else to go!" Fukuroi replied, covering most of his face with an arm, and walking onwards out onto the walkway. Mitsuki shivered at the cold wind flying everywhere, but followed quickly after, shutting the door on her way out.

Now outside for the first time in hours, Fukuroi and Mitsuki pressed themselves against the left wall in an attempt to hide themselves from the onslaught of rain water before moving on. Squinting, Fukuroi looked out to the muddy field on his right into the forest as he kept moving. There was something odd about it. It was clearly extremely dense, but he could only see a few trees in. After that, thick shadows cloaked the expensive wilderness, preventing one from seeing any further.

 _Hmph. I don't think going out there would have yielded any positive results. I wonder though... just how many people risked going out-_

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"A-Aaahh!" Fukuroi yelled in surprise as, just outside the walkway, a brown figure suddenly dropped into his field of vision from above, and hit the mud with a sickening splat.

"AH!" Mitsuki shrieked from just behind Fukuroi, having also witnessed the body. "W-What was that?!" She asked. Fukuroi didn't reply at first, trying to stop his thoughts from bouncing around his skull like bullets.

"I... it would seem someone... jumped..." he eventually managed to say, pushing his slipping glasses back up the bridge of his nose with a grimace. Of course. If one spent an extended amount of time in a place like this, assuming you weren't killed, it would only be a matter of time before suicidal thoughts began to circulate.

"Oh my God..." Mitsuki whispered, covering her mouth with her hands in horror. His grimace locked, Fukuroi edged forward slightly, so as to get a better look at who had thrown themselves to an early demise. To his immediate surprise, the body did not appear to be that of a student. In fact, it was debatable whether or not the person had been alive in the first place when they'd thrown themselves off the roof.

The body was quite a bulky one, yet also seemed rather short, covered in a dirt encrusted brown suit. The person's skin was a deathly pale, all signs of colour and life seemingly having been sucked out. Judging by the grey streaks in the messy black hair, the deceased was at least middle-aged, and seemed to be male, though Fukuroi couldn't confirm either of these speculations, as the corpse was lying face down.

However, when Fukuroi looked closer, he noticed something attached to the body's waist. Adjusting his glasses, he peered closer, and realized the item was a small wooden key with a tag attached to it.

"Ehh? What are you looking at Fukuroi?" Mitsuki asked, before she followed his line of sight and noticed the key. Her eyes widened briefly, before she frowned and looked over at Fukuroi. "You think we'll need it?"

"Only one way to find out," Fukuroi said, stepping forward and lifting his leg over the banister, much to Mitsuki's surprise.

"E-Ehh? Fukuroi?! What are you doing?!" Mitsuki yelled.

"That key is probably... important!" Fukuroi shouted over the sound of the rain, trying not to squirm at the loud squelch as his foot sank into a mud an inch. "Who knows if we'll need it!?" With that, he swung his other foot over, and began slowly walking over to the body.

"Wai-! Ahh! Be careful!" Mitsuki ordered, rushing over to the banister, ready to vault over if need be. Fukuroi gave a nervous nod in response, and edged forward. The stench of the body was overpowering, and he had to fight the build up of bile from coming up and out.

Now right next to the corpse, Fukuroi took a deep breath, steeled his nerves, and crouched down next to the body. The smell was unlike any other corpse he'd been around, and Fukuroi was actually beginning to feel slightly light headed as he grappled with the key looped into a ring at the belt. After about twenty seconds, he finally stumbled back, gasping for clean air as his back hit the ground.

"Fukuroi! Did you get it?" Mitsuki asked, as the boy got to his feet. With a weary nod, Fukuroi walked over to the walkway, where Mitsuki helped him climb back over. "Well? What does the tag say?" In response, Fukuroi opened his palm. The key was extremely tiny, and the tag was of a similar size, with small, but legible writings on it.

 _Principal's Office_

"Wow! Definitely a great finding!" Mitsuki exclaimed. Fukuroi nodded, giving a small smile at their find, before something registered in his mind.

"Wait... why was this man holding the principal's key?" He wondered. The two stood in silence for a brief moment, thinking, before their minds connected the dots. Glancing at each other, they slowly turned back around to face the lifeless corpse laying but a few feet away.

It was gone.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Fukuroi and Mitsuki gasped as the exact same scream rang throughout the air, as the exact same body fell from the roof, and landed a motionless bag of skin in the exact same spot. The two students stood there in shocked silence, watching the principal of Heavenly Host Elementary relive his death. Eventually, the body faded from view, like a hallucination passing.

"That was..." Mitsuki muttered, horrified. Fukuroi swallowed, trying to keep his face blank, before walking towards the end of the walkway.

"Come on, we need to find this office," he said. Mitsuki looked at the spot where the principal's ghost had been for a little longer, before hurrying after Fukuroi, hoping to leave before she heard that scream once more.

(In the underground shelter)

Blood.

Blood was everywhere.

With a trembling hand, Kai slid the door open fully to get a better look. In an instant, his eyes were assaulted by a sea of the colour crimson. Blood coated every surface in liberal amounts, giving off an absolutely overpowering, coppery stench. In the centre of the room was a large wooden table, with four rusty shackles nailed to it, presumably to keep things from running off it. In the far corner stood a steel cupboard, also drenched in blood, which also seemed to be leaking out of it.

"What... WHAT THE FUCK?!" Kai screamed, his voice shrill as he stumbled back, his purple eyes wide with fear and repulsion.

"Ooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrr..."

"W-Wha-!" Kai yelled, as he heard a low, familer groan from behind him. He turned quickly, only to see a bloody hammer head inches from his face.

 _WHACK!_

"GAH!" Kai shouted, clutching his forehead as he span around, somehow finding himself in the room. His foot landed in a puddle of blood in his panic, and it wasn't long before the young man slipped and fell, the back of his head smashing into the rock hard floor.

As he felt himself lose conscience, his eyes swimming and his head throbbing in pain, Kai thought, in the midst of all the drowsiness and pain, he could see the girl in the white dress, bending over at looking at him, with her dress stained with blood. For a brief moment though, as Kai quickly felt his eyes sliding shut, managing to hear a single sentence spoken before he lost himself to the darkness.

 _"He he he... Good job, big dumb..."_

A/N

 _And how do you intend to excuse your absence now!?_

Why are you still in this story, Announcer?! I retired you after the Yuuya vs Kai fight, yet you keep popping up!

 _Don't worry about me! Worry about your readers!_

Ehhhhh... Alright. Sorry for the insanely long delay, but I'm sure those of you in school shall understand my plight. Thankfully, it is the summer holidays, and I shall promise you that this story shall conclude before the holiday is over! If not, then I delete my account and live as a hermit in shame.

Here's hoping that doesn't happen!

A/N


	32. CHAPTER 5 (15)

CHAPTER 5 (15)

 **"Look... Heeheehee... He's waking up..."**

A groan escaping his lips, Kai forced his tired eyelids open, only to squeeze them shit again after he was greeted by a bright, yellow, naked bulb hanging directly above him. Grimacing as he turned his head to the side, he again opened his eyes, trying to see his surroundings. Around this time, he had begun noticing the putrid stench of blood. As his eyes adjusted to his surroundings, he also noticed that not only were his surroundings a strange mix of red and brown, but the whole room seemed to be tilted on his sides. Suddenly, Kai's eyes shot fully open.

"Oh shit..."

Looking down, Kai found himself laying on his back on a long wooden table, held in place by rusty metal clamps with suspicious red stains. Panicking, his head darted around. He was inside the room he'd seen before being knocked out the billionth time. The one drenched in blood.

 **"It's good to finally talk to you... Shimada Kai... of Byakudan High... Heh heh..."**

"Huh?!" Kai gasped, as he turned his head to the right. There, having materialised out of thin air, was her. The girl he'd been chasing. Only now her dress wasn't white. It was a dark, dirty crimson, torn and withered by age. And her skin, once a healthy peach, now a corpse's pale. And those eyes, those massive, black, piercing, terrifying eyes...

"It's you..." Kai whispered, horrified.

 **"Heeheeheehee!"** Sachiko Shinozaki giggled as she slowly walked over to her captive. Instinctively, Kai began struggling wildly against the clamps, his eyes turning a bright violet.

 **"Ah ah ahhh, sorry, but you're not going away, Kai-sennnnpai~~!"** Sachiko tutted, a wide, childish grin spreading across her features as she, without warning, slammed her palm into the side of Kai's head.

"GGGRRRRRRRMMMMMMM!" The man screamed through clenched teeth, his eyes a gap, tears streaming out of their corners as an unbelievable amount of pressure was put on the side of his face. Then, Sachiko put her eye right before Kai's, her's filling his vision. Kai whimpered, as he stared open-eyed into a great, black void.

For a moment, there was no movement, and no noise, only the sound of Kai's erratic, shallow breathing, and Sachiko's slow, smoke-smelling breath. Finally, she spoke.

 **"So it's true..."** she said, in a tone of what sounded like curiosity as she pulled away. **"He has touched you of all people... that miserable old dummy..."**

This caught Kai's attention. Taking deep breaths, Kai managed to gather together a small semblance of composure, and posed a question. "Y-You know him...? The freak who... gave me these powers? Wh-Who is he?!"

 **"Hmm? You mean he didn't tell you who he was...?"** Sachiko said, tilting her head in what seemed like surprise, before her eyes narrowed, and a thin, dark smirk grew. **"Heh.. perhaps it's for the better..."** she continued, her voice suddenly dropping an octave. **"Wonderful... you get to die... never having the satisfaction knowing where you got your gift..."**

Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, Sachiko extended her palm and lay it on Kai's face. Immediately, tendrils of black smoke bellowed out of her hand, which found their way into Kai's nostrils, ears and eyes.

"Ahhh! AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Kai screamed, the wispy fingers caressing their way through his head, his eyes flashing a dark, near black crimson as he squirmed around on the table.

 **"Hahahaha! Yes, you'll be excellent, Kai!"** Sachiko cackled, her own eyes turning crimson. **"You'll be a perfect replacement for those dumb little brats, and those useless lumps of crap, Yoshikazu, and your dear friend Yuuya..."**

All these words were lost to Kai, as he lost himself in a vortex of pain and violation.

(Elsewhere)

"Ahhh... Damn... Why is an elementary school so... tall...?" Mitsuki moaned as she collapsed face first onto the first flat floor she'd seen in what felt like ages. After scanning the second building for some time, only seeing things that were already present in the first building, before coming across a tall stairwell that had taken what seemed like an eternity to climb.

"At least we are finally done..." Fukuroi muttered, wiping the sweat from his brow as he dragged his sore feet up and over the final step. Leaning slightly on the banister, Fukuroi took a deep, calming breath in an attempt to get a bit of his stamina back, and looked ahead to see what their reward for climbing that never-ending stairway was. Before him stood a inconspicuous door, with a much smaller keyhole than the others, but outside of that, nothing was out of place. A sign above it read "Principal's Office".

"Come on, Mitsuki," Fukuroi said, holding out his hand. With a groan, Mitsuki grabbed a hold and pulled herself up, following Fukuroi as he walked towards the door, the miniscule key in hand. "Alright then..." Fukuroi began, slightly nervous as he slid the key into the lock. "Let's see what all this hassle leads us to."

 _Click!_

Holding his breath, Fukuroi grabbed the knob, slowly turned it, and pushed the door open just enough so that he could see inside. The lighting was dim, but there was enough of it so that he could see that there was something clearly off about the rooms walls. Frowning, Fukuroi pushed the door open fully, and let out a slight gasp.

"Huh? What is it?" Mitsuki demanded, pushing past Fukuroi into the room. "What's so-Ahh!"

The walls and ceiling of the room were covered completely in charms. Full, yellow white pieces of paper were everywhere, to the point where it was hard to see actual wall. On the far left side from where they came in, the two could see the desk was also covered in charms.

"Well..." Mitsuki began, more than a little unnerved. "This definitely looks like the room of a man who committed suicide..."

"Y-Yeah..." Fukuroi agreed, following Mitsuki into the room. "Well, I suppose we should... look around." Mitsuki nodded in response, and the duo spread out to scan the room, with Mitsuki examining the charms stuck to the wall, whilst Fukuroi went straight to the desk.

The desk, while not as covered as the walls, still has more than a liberal coating of charms, and the bits that were visible were, like the rest of the school; old, worn, and dying. Looking behind the desk, just as he was wondering why there was no chair, Fukuroi noticed that there was a handle that was jutting out, the drawer it was attached to completely seals by charms. Raising his eyebrow, Fukuroi grabbed the handle and pulled. After a few seconds, the charms gave way and broke. Looking up at Mitsuki, who was examining a particular section of the wall, he turned his attention back to the drawer.

It was empty of anything, except for a small, brown, red stained bag. Intriguing, Fukuroi reached in and picked it up. It was light, yet Fukuroi got the sense that something small was in it. On the front was something written in black ink, but it was so faded that all he couldn't make out anything, except for a faint "Aki".

"Fukuroi! Check this out!" Mitsuki suddenly yelled. Fukuroi looked up to see her grappling with a particular section of the wall. Putting the bag in his pocket, Fukuroi got up and began walking over.

"Hmm? Have you fou-?"

 _SLAM!_

"Ghh?!" Fukuroi yelped as Mitsuki suddenly slid a part of the wall open, charms flying off it. "W-Well, nice work, Mitsuki..."

"Huh... take a look at this..." Mitsuki murmured, as she looked down into the hole in the wall. Fukuroi joined her, seeing only an endless black void. However, when he looked down, he noticed a ladder at his feet, leading down to a brown surface a few dozen or so meters down. "Hmph. Well, we've come this far..." Mitsuki muttered, as she began making her way down.

"Be careful, alright!" Fukuroi yelled down, after making sure the ladder was sturdy, before following Mitsuki down into the unknown.

(Elsewhere)

"Hello?! Shimada!? Hey!" Tohko called out for the umpteenth time, only to be greeted by silence once more. Sighing, partly out of exhaustion and partly out of annoyance, she lent against the wall of the endless maze. Ever since she'd woken up in a room littered with corpses after exiting the shoot from the furnace, she'd been wondering around this bizarrely well lit maze, searching for Kai, who had not appeared in the room with her, despite the presence of a second shoot.

"God damn it..." she groaned, slowly sliding down the wall until her bottom hit the floor. "Can't something just go my way for once...?"

...

...

...

"Tohko!" "Kirisaki!"

"Huh?!" Lifting her head up at the sound of her own name, Tohko turned to the left, only to be greeted by a sudden blur of green and white slamming into her. Nearly toppling over, she looked down to see Mitsuki of all people buried in her chest. "M-Mitsuki!" She gasped, before grinning wildly, and returning the embrace.

"Tohko! It's been too long since I had a hug..." Mitsuki moaned. Tohko giggled, wiping her own tears.

"Hope I'm not interrupting much." Looking up, Tohko saw Fukuroi strolling towards them, a soft smile on his face as the two women got to their feet.

"Ahaha... Good to see you, Mr. President!" Tohko replied, giving him a hug. Fukuroi gladly returned it, however, at that moment, he realized someone was missing.

"Wait," he began, as Tohko stepped back. "Where is Kai?"

"I... I'm not sure..." Tohko sighed, suddenly crestfallen. "We came in here through a tunnel shoot, but Kai wasn't in the room where I woke up..." Fukuroi's confused expression changed to a tight grimace at this, unconsciously clenching his fists.

"Damn..." Mitsuki said, also depressed, before a hard look came into her eye. "Well, looks like we've got another hunt on our hands. Find that redheaded bastard!"

"Y-Yeah! Though I've been looking for awhile, and I haven't had too much luck..." Tohko replied.

"Hmph. Well, we can't just give up. If he came the same way as you, he has to be here somewhere!" Fukuroi insisted. Mitsuki nodded.

"Yeah, come on Tohko!" She said, grabbing her by the hand and moving onwards, quickly followed by Fukuroi.

"H-Hey! Wait, I've already been that way!"

(?)

 _Kai was falling._

 _Falling in a vortex of twisted red and purple, blinded by flashing magenta stars and crimson handprints, unable to hear his own screams of squashing body parts and the howls of children._

 _She was looking for him. He could feel it. The Girl In The Red Dress was after him, working through his mind and body n a search for his soul. He tried to fall faster in an attempt to get away, but he could feel her presence getting ever closer._

 _Suddenly, red flooded his vision. All shades of purple vanished, only to he replaced with a dark bloody colour._

 _ **"He he he... IIIIIII FOOOOOOOOUND YOOOOOOOOOU..."**_

 _"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Kai screamed as red hands swarmed all over him, some grabbing onto his body, others pasting right through it. It was sheer agony. He could feel the weight on his mind growing heavier. It felt like his head would be crushed._

 _"AlreADY haVIng ToO sAVE YOu AM i, KaI?"_

 _The weight stopped growing heavier. Then, in the midst of all the red, a small, purple pentagram came into view, just in front of his face._

 _"adMItTEdLY, peRHaps yOU woULd HaVe needeD moRe tiMe TO maSTer thE bIt oF pOWEr I gAve YOU... mAYbE A LITTLE BoOsT iS In ordER..."_

 _Kai was barely paying at attention to what the voice was saying through all the pain, so it can as a surprise when the pain suddenly lifted, the hands left his body, and the vortex changed to a deep, flowing purple._

 _ **"WHAT... IS THIS...?"**_

 _Again, the red hands appeared. On instinct, Kai raised his hands, his palms glowing a light magenta. Immediately, the hands disintegrated into a black dust. The girl remained still for a minute, before suddenly fleeing the opposite way, her presence taking the exit route from Kai's body._

 _With a growl, Kai stopped falling and flew up the vortex after her. He didn't stop to ponder the new surge of power he'd just been given. He'd find the girl, and maker her pay._

 _Soon, he found himself neck to neck with a lump of red and black particles. With a roar, Kai slammed through it, coming out the other side. The lump, no, the girl, emitted a loud, ear piercing shriek of pain, before combusting in a sudden burst of purple._

 _Kai grinned maniacally, only to find his vision slowly turning white. Panicked, he flew around, trying to find more purple spots, only to have his field of view turn completely white. Once more descending into screams, Kai clawed at his eyes as the purple current dragged him up._

 _"Don'T woRRy... MY inhERiToR... thIS iS oNLy a fraCTiON Of The PoWER YoU WIlL pOSSesS..."_

A/N

Final chapter coming soon!

A/N


	33. CHAPTER 5 (16)

CHAPTER 5 (16)

"GAH?!" Kai gasped as he lurched upwards, his hands instantly covering his face as his chest heaved in and out, his eyes wide and visibly shaking, having returned to their usual cyan. Eventually, the redhead realized that he was in no visible danger, and slowly let his hand drop as he quickly examined his surroundings. The room was as bloody as ever, but there was absolutely no sign of Sachiko or Yoshikazu. His steel clasps had also been curiously undone for him.

Rubbing his wrists slightly, Kai placed his feet on the floor and stood up, slowly walking over towards the door.

 _Damn... What the fuck was that whole thing...? Sachiko was fucking 'round inside me... but then that thing showed up..._

 _Huh?_

There, at the foot of the door leading to the hallway, was a roughly-made, black cat doll. The single remaining eye was a button, and stuffing was coming out in certain places. Propped up against it was a shockingly clean piece of paper with writing scrawled on it. Frowning, Kai reached down and picked up both items, looking over the writing.

 _ **YOuR paTHEtic alLiEs fORGoT tHis... iT mAy prOve uSEfuL in SaCHiKo'S deFeAt...**_

Raising his eyebrow at the bizarre yet strangely familiar handwriting, Kai put the note in his pocket and, after looking at it curiously for a minute, did the same with the cat doll before walking forward.

"Alright..." he said, sliding the door open as he stepped out into the hallway again, a hard, sharp look in his eyes. "Let's finish this... Sachiko!"

(Elsewhere)

"Hey... do you two... smell that?" Fukuroi asked, suddenly coming to a stop. The two girls next to him also stopped and sniffed the air.

"Ehhh... now that you mention it, there does seem to be a really awful smell coming from ahead..." Mitsuki muttered, covering her nose with her arm. "It's nothing like the corpses up top."

"Yeah... do you think we should go?" Tohko asked. "I mean, we've been walking around for awhile, and we still haven't found Shimada or Sachiko."

Fukuroi grimaced. "About Sachiko... You're sure giving her her tongue back is going to appease her?" He asked, a look of clear worry on his face at the thought of getting face to face with the dark dictator of Heavenly Host.

"Yeah," Tohko nodded. "It definitely should work, and this seems to be the only place we haven't checked yet." Mitsuki let out an noise, obviously irritated by the smell, but gave her own nod in return. Fukuroi sighed.

"Alright... Let's go..." he said as he, Tohko and Mitsuki walked side by side deeper into the corridor. After a few dozen seconds of walking, the trio came to an open doorway completely shrouded in dark shadows. The smell at this point was overpowering, and the students felt as if they would be sick at any second.

"Okay, there is DEFINITELY something on the other side..." Mitsuki muttered. "I wouldn't be surprised if it's Sachiko herself..."

"Wait, if it is, are we going to appease him without Shimada?" Tohko asked. Fukuroi's ground his teeth, his frustration evident.

"Kirisaki, you know that I want to go looking for Kai for than any of us, but there is only so long we have before we will eventually fall victim to the school. Not IF, but WHEN. We need to do this NOW."

Tohko's features fell as her gaze drifted downwards. "Y-Yeah... You're right, Fukuroi." Then, she felt someone warp their arm around her shoulder. Looking to her left, she saw Mitsuki giving her a comforting smile.

"Hey, don't worry, guys!" She reassured, turning to Fukuroi as well. "Shimada's a stubborn bastard. You can bet he'll probably crash the party when everything is done." Fukuroi gave her a smile in return, though it was noticeably forced, and Tohko did her best to show an outward sense of confidence.

"Alright..." she said, taking a deep breath, puffing out her chest and power-walking forward.

"Let's g-AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

Her confident boast turned into a shrill shriek as she stumbled back and fell on her behind. "Tohko?! What's wrong?!" Mitsuki demanded as she and Fukuroi run up to her. Tohko didn't say a word, merely raising a trembling hand and pointing ahead. Following her finger, the other two looked ahead, only to be greeted with a trust horrific sight.

"GAAAHHH!" They screamed as they too fell at the sight of Yoshikazu's dead, lifeless body hanging from a noose tied to the ceiling. His body was exactly like it had been as it paraded around the school, filthy, decaying and all around rotten as it hung limb, his normally bright crimson eyes cold and dark.

"Y-Yoshikazu?!" Tohko exclaimed.

Fukuroi gasped. "Him?! What happened to him?!"

"I-I don't know..." Tohko admitted. "He usually wanders around the school, so why is he-?"

"Sachiko has recalled him..."

"Hah?!" The three yelped in surprise, quickly getting to their feet and turning to face the new forth person. Tohko gasped in surprise.

"Y-Yuki?! What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Yu... Yuki?!" Mitsuki sputtered.

"Don't worry..." Yuki reassured, pulsing a soft, haunting blue as always. "Yoshikazu should not prove to be a nuisance... for the time being..." She continued. "Sachiko's body lies ahead... you must face her and begin the appeasement..."

"W-Wait!" Tohko said. "Do you know where Shimada is?" She asked hopefully.

Yuki gave a small, yet reassuring smile as she replied, "Do not worry... Kai will find his way to you... now go... please... hurry..." With that, Yuki Kanno faded from view once more.

"I take it... that that is the ghost girl you spoke of earlier?" Fukuroi asked. Tohko nodded in response.

"Yeah... that's her. And it looks like we've got her blessing!" She said, an outwardly calm yet slightly shaky smile on her lips. "Come on you guys! Let's appease Sachiko and get out of here!"

"Heck yes! Let's do this!" Mitsuki exclaimed, a confident smirk displayed. Fukuroi gave a firm nod.

"Yes. Let's finally leave this accursed place!" With that, the trio walked through the doorway, past Yoshikazu, and into a hallway of unknown darkness.

(Elsewhere)

"Jesus fuck, what's the point of gett'n a basement this big for a elementary?" Kai muttered under his breath, having spent around five minutes wondering around the school. Coming to a stop, he took a deep breath. "OI! KIRISAKI! TOHKO! YOU THERE?!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice traveling throughout the underground structure. A dozen seconds of silence passed, before Kai sighed in disappointment and dragged himself onwards. To amuse himself, Kai pulled out the note he'd found earlier and looked at the scrawled writing.

 _ **YOuR paTHEtic alLiEs fORGoT tHis... iT mAy prOve uSEfuL in SaCHiKo'S deFeAt...**_

There was something very odd about it, not just the extremely bizarre style it was written in, but more the fact that it seemed strangely familiar to him. Almost like he had seen it before.

"... wait."

Kai stopped walking, and suddenly started eyeballing the note.

 _Ehh? What fucking language is this?_

It only now hit him, but the words written on the note weren't Japanese. In fact, they weren't any language he had ever seen before. English, French, Greek, Arabic, it looked completely alien, a series of eccentric symbols and dashes.

 _Then... how the hell did I read this shit talk?_

As Kai stared intently at the strange markings, a strange, completely unfounded idea came to him out of the blue. Feeling his pockets, he eventually found a somewhat worn pencil, which he often used to make sketches in any class that wasn't history. Turning the note over to the blank side, Kai wrote his name in kanji very purposely.

 _ **島田 快**_

It seemed quite normal, so he did the same, this time in English.

 _ **Shimada Kai**_

Again, perfectly normal. Looking over his writings, Kai furrowed his brow, getting the sense he was missing something, even though he had no idea what he was doing. Eventually, he decided to just write his name as his hand saw fit. And he did just that, letting his hand wander around the page naturally.

"GLGH?! What the fuck?!"

(̹͜#̛͕̈:̨̜͓̝̱:ͤ̔̎͗͏͎̗͙͓͓:͔̮ͪͫ(̫̰̪̦͉̟͆̇͒ͯ̀ ͔̖̮̫̍̔̎ͯͣͯ͡ ͓͔͍̎ͦ̆͐̑ͭͮ̕ ͓̗̗̖͉͓̪͂'̱̘̙̒ͤ̓̈́̃̚/̀$̱͙̱͘®̶͍̟̼̠̤̰ͯ̌ͭ̇ ̴̩̣͉͇͍͉͉̎̓ ̿́̆̍̍͏͚ͅ

Kai was lost for words as he stared at the random mishmash of symbols he had never seen before and probably had no hope of pronouncing. Yet somehow, somewhere in his mind, something had already translated those markings into the words "Kai" and "Shimada".

His fingers trembling, Kai put the pencil and note back in his pocket, his eyes wide with shock. "The fucking hell..." he muttered, before shaking his head. "Tch... fuck. Ain't got time for this shit. I gotta find the others and Sachiko."

With those words he set off, his determination to find his friends firm, though, in the back of his mind, he couldn't stop his subconscious from wondering about those disturbing symbols, and how he could possibly understand them.

A/N

Okay. So me, being the classy gentleman that I am, somehow managed to delete the nearly-finished final chapter as I was doing a purge of old files. Now, as much as I would like to blame this on the announcer...

 _Hey!_

... I will accept responsibility. I'm sorry for taking so long. I decided to upload the rewritten first part just to give you SOMETHING. But I promise, the next part WILL BE THE FINAL CHAPTER!

 _All I hear are eeeeeeeempty promises! Sad!_

Don't you start.

P.S I've changed my name to Xrross now. Hope you like it!

A/N


	34. FINALE

FINAL

"We're... We're here." Fukuroi whispered.

Indeed. After countless hours spend stumbling in darkness, after multiple near deaths and who knew how many mental scars, they had finally made it. There, in the centre of the small room, illuminated by a weak light bulb, laying half buried in a hole...

... was the corpse of The Master of Heavenly Host. Sachiko Shinozaki.

"It's... her..." Tohko said. Trembling, she edged forward, Fukuroi and Mitsuki by her sides. The body itself actually didn't look that different to any other corpse in Heavenly Host. It had the same tight, lifeless skin, the same black, empty eye sockets, and the same revolting stench. The only thing that really separated it from the rest was the torn, filthy white dress that was worn.

"Okay... so, how do we do this?" Mitsuki asked as they stopped about have meters from the body. Tohko thought for a minute.

"Huh... I'm not exactly sure on that, maybe we... present the tounge?" She wondered.

 _ **G O**_

"Huh?!" The three gasped simultaneously. As they watched, a red glow materialised between them and the body. To their shock, the glow began shifting into a human shape, eventually dimming until a physical form could be made out. Before them, drenched in the glow, stood Sachiko Shinozaki.

 _ **G O**_

Again, the single word the seemed to rip through the Byakudan students with hatred along echoed across the room, seemingly coming from everywhere but Sachiko, who just stood there, motionless, not moving, not talking, just glaring at them through her bangs.

"W-What do we do?!" Mitsuki whispered, her entire being trembling in terror. Fukuroi was in a similar state himself, having to almost physically hold himself down to prevent himself from fleeing. Gulping loudly, Tohko took an extremely hesitant step forward.

"Ahhh!" Tohko cried out at the sudden scream, covering her ears and closing her eyes. Fukuroi and Mitsuki also visibly cringed. Opening her eyes again, Tohko saw Sachiko still just staring at her, her expression blank, eyes covered, but somehow still conveying such pure spite. Breathing heavily, Tohko reached into her pocket, and slowly took out the tongue bag.

For the first time, Sachiko showed some form of facial expression. The instant she saw the small, blood-soaked bag, she flinched, her her mouth slightly loosening from a straight line in what almost seemed like surprise.

Then she stepped forward.

(Elsewhere)

"Damn... What even is this place?" Kai grumbled, continuing to make his way through the seemingly never-ending mass of corridors for what felt like an eternity. Everything was exactly the same. No variations. No surprises. Nothing. It was like the architect had designed one hall, and reused the exact same template several thousand times over.

The only thing (to Kai's knowledge) that had changed was that his vision, which had always been slightly tinted with purple since returning to Heavenly Host, had now gained a barely noticeable red tinge to it, though he wasn't sure what it meant.

Cracking his neck, Kai groaned as he stopped walking, his gaze cold, irritated, and distant.

 _Fuck... This is tiring as shit... Maybe I can just rip my way through these ratty ass walls...? Sure would make things-_

"Gha!" Kai's thoughts were immediately interrupted by a horrifyingly familiar chill running down his spine. "Fuck! Sachiko!" Grinding his teeth as his eyes flashed purple, Kai turned around and prepared to face the evils...

... of nothing.

"Huh?" Kai blinked. The chill he was experiencing seemed to be originating from further back. Also, he noted, his vision now contained a bit more red than before. Raising his eyebrow, Kai sprinted towards the source where, presumably, Sachiko Shinozaki lay.

(Elsewhere)

 **"... You were far more dumb than I anticipated..."** Sachiko mused, staring at her shriveled, dry tongue on the dirt floor, before raising her eyes, a dark smirk gracing her lips. **"Oh well. Maybe in death... you'll be a bit more entertaining..."**

Just before her, frozen mid-turn in an attempt to run, were Tohko, Mitsuki and Fukuroi, each straining with all their might to move to the point that they were sweating, though that may have been due to sheer terror.

Tohko had it worst. Whereas the other two had only managed to take a step back, Tohko had managed to turn her entire upper away from Sachiko in her attempt to escape. This meant that she was the only one who couldn't see the demon.

 **"Hmmmmmmm... Getting nervous? Toooookhoooo...?"** Sachiko said, kicking her tongue out of the way and walking up to Tohko, who's frame had begun trembling. With even their jaws locked, Mitsuki and Tohko could do nothing but watch as Sachiko ran her long dead fingers through Tohko's hair, her lips wide with sadistic glee. However, Sachiko suddenly dropped her hand, and instead began walking over to Mitsuki.

 **"Hmmhmm... Killing you is going to be so much fun, Tohko..."** Sachiko whispered, her smile only growing wider as she walked over to Mitsuki, who's eyes grew wide in terror, as did those of Fukuroi and Tohko. **"But in my experience... people die the best..."**

 **"AFTER SEEING THE ONES THEY LOVE DIE FIRST."**

 _Slash!_

 _Crash!_

The exact moment that a fountain of blood squirted from Mitsuki's neck, covering Sachiko's still beaming face, was also the exact moment that the motionless body of Yoshikazu fell face first through the doorway with a hunting knife in the face of his head.

And standing behind him was a sight that made Sachiko, for the first time in decades, feel something that could possibly be described as... a chill.

"YOU FUCKING BITCH!" Kai Shimada screamed as his eyes burnt an impossibly deep magenta, throwing himself at the girl. Caught completely off guard, Sachiko did nothing to stop Kai slamming into her and sending the both of them flying into the far wall. Immediately, Tohko and Fukuroi fell to the floor, relieved of Sachiko's control.

"MITSUKI!" Fukuroi screamed, throwing himself at Mitsuki, who was also on the floor, blood still pumping out her neck. "MITSUKI! OH GOD! AHHHH!" As Fukuroi yelled and screamed, trying desperately to stop the bleeding, Tohko just sat there, her eyes wide and staring right at Mitsuki, almost as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"I'M GONNA FUCKING RIP YOU APART, SACHIKO!" Came the demented screams of Kai, who was enveloped in a fiery, purple aura as he held Sachiko down.

 _ **What... What is this? How did he obtain this amount of power?! He shouldn't be anywhere near my level... that... that old relic...**_

Suddenly, a massive pulse of black energy burst of Sachiko, sending Kai stumbling back a few feet. Sachiko stood, swarmed in a sea of black particles, and glared at Kai, her eyes completely white. The young man's eyes on the other hand, practically vibrated with magenta fury, saliva dripping from his mouth.

"Fuck appeasing you... I'M GONNA SEE YOU DEAD!" The redhead cried. In response, Sachiko charged suddenly at him, moving from a few feet to right in front of him a blink of a-

 **"H U H¿"** Sachiko exclaimed, her pupils returning. Instead of running right through Kai, she run face first into a purple wall. Kai himself also gasped in surprise, apparently not having generated the wall intentionally. However, he quickly shrugged off his surprise and returned to hate.

"OI! SACHIKO!" He said. "I 'eard you talking about making people watch the ones they love die! YOU FUCKING SICK BITCH!" He yelled. "WELL IT'S TIME FOR A TASTE OF YOU'RE OWN SHITTY MEDICINE!" Reaching into his pocket, Kai grabbed the black cat doll, and was about to pull it out, only for his entire body to suddenly freeze.

 **"Ah ah ah~! Whatever's in your pocket is staying there..."** Sachiko said, a sly grin as Kai grunted and struggled, unable to even move his lips. However, to her shock, Kai's arm continued to inch slowly out of his pocket. Frowning, she applied more mental pressure on him. Grinding his teeth to the point of turning them to dust, Kai trembled and shook as he attempted to move his arm.

"God... damn...!" He spat out through his teeth. Her smirk returning, Sachiko's eyes slowly turned white again, the black particles poring out of her body once more as Kai was eventually forced on one knee, his hand still in his pocket.

 **"MAKE PEACE WITH YOUR FATE... YOU WILL DIE... HERE... AND FOREVER,"** Sachiko said in a demonic tone as Kai's body hunched over even further.

"Sachiko."

Instinctively, Sachiko turned her head slightly. There, standing a few feet away from Kai, was Tohko, her expression completely blank and expressionless. In her outstretched hand she held out Sachiko's tongue.

 **"WHAT GAME ARE YOU PLAYING¿"** Sachiko asked, her face having reverted to one equally as dead, her empty eyes only enhancing the disturbing effect. Tohko however, instead kept her own lifeless face as she uttered the words:

"A game of concentration."

It took Sachiko roughly a second to realize what the girl meant, and by the time she had rotated her head the several degrees necessary to look at Kai, the man was already standing up. With a black cat doll in his hands. Whilst the tongue was still in her peripheral vision.

Time stopped.

Fukuroi's anguished screams faded away. Sachiko's hair was brushed behind her eyes by an unknown force, allowing, for the first time, an unobstructed view of her face. Her blank eyes didn't move, caught in between the two items. Tohko looked over at Kai, who was staring intently at this cat doll, his grip unnaturally tight, as if he was attempting to crush it.

"Kai."

Tokyo's voice, just as expressionless as her face, snapped Kai out, and he turned to look at her. A few seconds passed, before Kai returned his focus to Sachiko, a clearly frustrated look on his face as he and Tohko began to approach Sachiko.

The closer they got, the paler Sachiko's dress and the more lush and healthy her skin seemed to become. By the time they were less than a foot in front of her, her dress was completely white, and her skin was just like any other living person. Her pupils too had returned, large black circles, gazing at the items in a daze.

"What... what happened...?" Sachiko asked, in a soft, barely audible voice.

"Sachiko... it's time for you to go home now..." Tohko said, in an equally soft voice, holding out the tongue. Sachiko looked down at it, and something flickered across her face.

"Where... where's mummy...?" She asked, her voice somewhat louder than before. Tohko didn't say anything, but instead took Sachiko's hand, and placed the tongue in the little girls palm.

"Kai..." Tohko said.

For awhile, the man behind her didn't move. Just as she was about to turn around, Tohko head the sound of footsteps against the dirt floor, before Kai crouched down next to her.

"Here," he said, his voice low and gravelly, almost like a growl.

"Mu... Mummy..." Sachiko whimpered, her lip beginning to tremble as she took the doll with her left hand, her tongue clasped tight in the other.

"Yes, Sachiko..." Tohko said, still refusing to show any emotion as Kai stood up and stepped away. "It's time to stop. Time to go back and see her again..."

"Mummy... Mummy!" Sachiko cried, her blank face shattering and giving way to a frightened, tearful expression. As she wept, her body began breaking up into tiny particles of light, drifting up into the ceiling. Tohko and Kai watched, the former with a growing expression of sadness, and the latter with a sharp glare as Sachiko Shinozaki eventually departed Heavenly Host Elementary School, leaving only a shriveled up tongue, and a old, torn cat doll.

"She's... gone..." Tohko said, emotion coming back to her face and voice as her words got caught in her throat.

"Finally appeased... What a fucking bitch..." Kai muttered.

"MITSUKI!"

Immediately, the two were dragged back to reality. Turning around, they were reminded of the whole reason they had the power beat Sachiko. Fukuroi, having given up attempting some kind of aid, just knelt next to Mitsuki sobbing, who was laying near motionless.

"Mitsuki!" Tohko yelled, running over to her dying friend. Kai, after only a second of seeing Mitsuki, put his hand over his mouth and turned away, unable to handle the sight. "Mitsuki! Are... Oh God!" Tohko said, tears rapidly falling as she took note of Mitsuki's dull eyes. Just like Naho's. Just like the dead.

"Mi... Mi..." She whimpered, for bursting out into a complete breakdown, tears streaming down her cheeks as her cries only got louder. Fukuroi, having stopped sobbing at this point, clutched Mitsuki's still warm hand, tears silently falling on the floor. Kai continued to stand with his back facing the others, his body shaking as he tucked his arms under his armpits to prevent himself from lashing out and tearing apart the entire room, stifling his sobs as the corner of his eyes started to water.

"So it seems... you've done it..."

All three turned towards the centre of the room to see Yuki standing there, glowing a pale light at she gazed sadly at Mitsuki. "I'm very sorry... for your friend..." she whispered.

"Ju... Just tell me!" Kai shouted, his fists balling. "Just tell me all this fucking BS was worth it..."

"That I can confirm... Yuki said, nodding. "With Sachiko appeased, the school as we know it will come to an end. If you hurry to the walkway between the school buildings... then perform the cursed charm backwards... you may leave this place..."

"And... and... and Mitsuki... and... Yu... Yuuya...?" Tohko sputtered.

"And Kurosaki... and Ohkawa and Katayama..." Fukuroi continued.

"And Urabe!" Kai finished with a yell. "What about them?! Do they get to leave this fucking Hell hole?!"

Yuki looked down, crestfallen. "I'm sorry... but no one else is leaving... The school will be remade... A new Sachiko has already been chosen..."

"Then what the fuck have we been doing all this time when we could have just pulled the charm any time?! This whole appeasement is pointless!" Kai screamed, waving his arms around wildly.

"I'm sorry... you must go... reach the walkway...before the final bell tolls..." Yuki said, as she faded from view, her dress gaining an extremely faint red tint.

"YUKI! Wait!" Tohko yelled.

 _. . . ._

With those final words, Yuki Kanno disappeared for a final time, leaving only three stunned, shell-shocked teens. Suddenly, a deafening sound erupted out of nowhere, a single, massive bell toll that rippled through the air.

"AHHHHHH!" They screamed, covering their ears.

"AHHH SHIT! Come on, we gonna make it outta here!" Kai said, storming over and dragging Tohko and Fukuroi to their feet. Walking over to Yoshikazu's corpse, he pulled out the knife from the back of the man's head, and, after grimacing at the black fluid coating that blade, jammed in back in his pocket.

"But... but Mitsuki!" Fukuroi protested, reaching out to the girl in question.

"Forget about her! She's dead!" Kai yelled back harshly, still refusing to even look at the body. "We need to get outta here, or else we're gonna be joining her and everyone else!"

The shouting seemed to snap Fukuroi out of his funk, and, after one last, tear-filled look, he turned away, looking almost ashamed. "Fine... I know a way out... It's the way I came in..." With those words, Tohko, who, after one last look back, joined the two boys and left behind another dead friend to begin a mad dash to freedom.

* * *

After making their way back up to the principal's office, the three made their way down the staircase towards the walkway. As they placed through the halls, occasionally a bell would go off, each toll signalling they had less and less time.

Finally, Kai practically tore a door open, revealing the rain-splattered walkway. "At fucking last! Come on!" He ordered as the group sprinted outside, the sixth bell ringing across the school.

"Have... Have you both got your charm scraps?" Fukuroi asked once they were all standing in the middle of the walkway in a circle, taking out his own paper piece. Kai and Tohko nodded, taking out their own pieces.

"It's once for each of us right?" Tohko asked.

"Ya..." Kai said, visibly shaking with anticipation. "Let's fucking do this!" He yelled as he thrust his piece forward like a forceful offering.

"Sachiko we beg of you!"

Tohko followed suit, thrusting her arm towards the centre of the group.

"Sachiko! We beg of you!"

Fukuroi took a hesitant gulp, before doing the same.

"Sachiko we beg of you!"

The three exchanged a quick, fleeting glance, for a steely, determined look fell across their faces.

 _"Sachiko we beg of you!"_

There was a sudden bright flash of light that grew from the doll scraps.

Then nothing.

* * *

"Uhhhh... Ehhhh... Wha..."

Squinting his eyes as a bright light violated his sight, it took Kai about ten seconds to realise that he was laying on the floor. Rubbing his eyes, unused to such a display of light, he pulled himself up until he was in a sitting expression, groaning as his back and neck cracked.

"Ahhhh... fuuu..."

"Uhhhh... K... ai..."

Turning around, Kai saw Fukuroi struggling to get to his feet, also rubbing his eyes. Beside him, Tohko was sitting up, looking around the room in somewhat of a daze. At this point, Kai had managed to get up on his two feet without tripping over them, and began looking around. Having gotten used to the brightness, the room looked almost like a classroom. A high school class room.

A few seconds passed.

"No..." Kai whispered, his eyes slowly widening as he realised where he was exactly. "No..." Looking back at Fukuroi and Tohko, he saw that they too where also staring around the room like they couldn't believe they were in it.

"We... we're... back..." Tohko said, tears returning to her eyes. Fukuroi couldn't even respond properly, and just nodded, looking like he was gazing at the gates of heaven themselves. "Kai... we...!" Tohko said, a smile breaking out on her face as she turned to face her friend, only to be suddenly swept off her feet.

"Ahahaha! We fucking did it!" Kai exclaimed, holding Tohko against his chest and swinging her around. "We ain't gotta even think of that shit-hole ever again!"

"Ah! Kai!" Tohko shrieked, her words interrupted by her giggling as Kai set her down.

"Oi! Mr. President!" Kai said, turning his attention towards Fukuroi. "Don't think you're escaping a-! Ehh?" Kai's grin fell when he caught sight of Fukuroi's sullen expression, his gaze focused on something in his hand. "Hey! What's-?"

It was Mitsuki's name tag.

The rest of Kai's sentence died in his throat. Realising too what Fukuroi was holding, Tohko abruptly stopped giggling, and fell silent. For a second, nobody moved. Then, hand shaking, Kai reached into his pocket and pulled out another tag. It was Emi's.

Kai took a look at the sweet, shy smile of a girl who was now dead.

Emi...

Mitsuki...

Kurosaki...

Ohkawa...

Katayama...

Kizami...

All dead.

"We... we should... go..." Fukuroi said, his face devoid of all emotion.

"Yeah. It's probably getting late," Tohko agreed.

Kai couldn't even muster up an agreement. His crimson bangs hanging over his eyes, he glanced down at his watch. Five minutes past ten. Close to seven hours had passed since they entered the school.

Not even bothering to pick up their bags from the side where they had always been, the three survivors walked out of the classroom, with Fukuroi only just remembering to turn off the lights...

* * *

It was raining as Kai made his way back to his house, something he was grimly satisfied with. It only seemed far that Gaia herself was as miserable as he was. As he plodded down an oddly empty pathway down a row of houses, his thoughts turned to his morning. How irritated he was having to go to school and see his idiotic little gang of acquaintances.

Having to listen to Ohkawa and Katayama drone on and on about their sims.

Having to put up with Kurosaki's challenges of sportsmanship.

Having to put up with Mitsuki's nagging.

Having to put up with seeing that smug, disgusting look on Kizami's face.

Having to put up with Emi constantly getting tongue-tied whenever she talked to him. Or anyone.

In that moment, he would have killed someone just to get all of that back.

Kai carried on, sulking in his depressed thoughts, when he suddenly came to a stop. His brow furrowed as he stood there, before turning around.

Someone was watching him.

At this other end of the street Kai was walking on, stood a small figure dressed in what seemed like a black parka directly underneath a street light, doing nothing to hid their presence. Their hood was up, keeping their face completely obscured in shadows, though Kai could pick out a bluish fringe underneath.

The figure just stood there, not moving at all, while Kai stared him down, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. There was something frighteningly familiar about that person, despite the fact that Kai was certain he had never seen them in his life. He took a step forward, blinking as he did so.

When he opened his eyes, the person was gone.

"Huh?" Kai said softly. The figure had just disappeared. Quickly jogging up to the light, Kai could see not a single trace that anyone had been there, nor could he see anyone in his immediate vicinity. "Tch... The fuck..." Kai sighed, rubbing his eyes as he turned back around and continued towards his house.

 _"Heh... Dumb fucktard..."_

(The next day)

"Ohk... awa? Katayama? Sorry, Mr. President, but who are you talking about again?"

"Mitsuki? Tohko you silly! The Student Council Secretary is Naomi! And who's this 'Emi' as well?"

"Kizami? Kurosaki? L-Look Kai! I don't know what your beef with these guys is, but I swear I have nothing to do with it!"

* * *

"What... what the fuck?!" Kai yelled, smashing his fists against an empty desk. He, Tohko and Fukuroi had met up in the Council room, with Fukuroi wearily resting behind his desk, and Tohko leaning on another for support.

"Everyone... nobody knows who they are... nobody remembers..." Tohko whispered, her face white.

"This is... disgustingly cruel..." Fukuroi said, placing his hands in a bridge shape and leaning his head against them.

"Everything we've done... Everything we remember... None of that shit happened?!"

"I've checked the student files..." Fukuroi muttered. "Apparently... six files were disposed of this morning because they contained information on student who... who had never attended the school. On top of that, all the faces had been inked out... so they think the whole thing is just a... a... jo..."

"All the pictures on my phone of them have no faces..." Tohko whimpered. "Yuuya, Mitsuki, Emi... all of them... just inked out..." She said, tears beginning to roll down her face.

"Ah! Tohko, I-!" Kai began, only to be caught off guard by Tohko suddenly flinging herself into his chest, openly sobbing into his shirt. His eyes wide, Kai turned around and looked at Fukuroi, who himself was also grieving, albeit much more silently, with tears streaking down his face as he covered his eyes, unable to look up at anything.

"Urgh...! Dammit...!" Kai growled, turning away and wrapping his arms around Tohko, forcing his eyes shut as he buried his mouth into her hair, all the while she continued to cry. "Fuck... shit..." Kai muttered, trying his best to block out the sight of his friends crying, the sound of Tohko weeping in utter grief, and the faces of Yuuya Kizami, Emi Urabe, Mitsuki Yamamoto, Kensuke Kurosaki, Tomohiro Ohkawa and Ryoske Katayama.

Kai was in fact so focused on his task, that he failed to notice the hot, burning tears seeping out of his own eyes, crawling down his cheeks, and falling off his jaw, hitting the floor as they mixed with stray ones from Tohko.

The sun was bright. Uncharacteristically so.

It was almost white.

 _ **~~~~Corpse Party: A Tale From Byakudan High~~~~**_

 _ **~~~~Fin~~~~**_

A/N

After over two years, it's finally over. After several months of delays and smashed tablets, Byakudan High is over. I cannot thank everyone who stuck through this story and all it's unreasonable delays. You guys are the best, and I hope this conclusion was a fitting one.

 _And I thank you as well! I do hope my antics have been appreciated!_

I'm still not sure how you stuck around, Announcer. I could have sworn I killed you around twenty chapters ago, but oh well. At least I'm finally rid of you.

 _I love you too, Xrross! Btw, loving the new edgy name!_

Fuck off.

 _I SHALT BE BACK!_

God I hope not. For now though, I'm going to take the first guilt-free sleep in months.

Thank you, and goodbye, my friends.


	35. EX CHAPTER 1: EPIPHANY

_EX CHAPTER 01_

 _EPIPHANY_

The corpse had clearly been rotting for quite some time. The skin was tight and pasty white, the filthy brown jumper seemingly swallowing the body, and the dark, empty holes that should have eyes in them. It must have seen something terrifying in its final moments, as it's mouth was open in a twisted screech.

This was the first thing Kizami saw when he woke up.

Instantly, he leapt to his feet, staring at the corpse in shock. It was then he noticed that he was no longer in the student council room. Judging by his surroundings, he seemed to be in some kind of school, elementary judging by the desk sizes. However, it had clearly been abandoned for an incredibly long time. The walls had rotted a dirty yellow, the floor was littered with holes, and the desks seemed like they would collapse of you just brushed against them slightly.

"What the hell is this..." Yuuya muttered to himself, struggling to process what he was seeing. It was only then that he noticed that he was alone, save for the corpse. "Kurosaki! Kirisaki! Fukuroi! Oi!" He yelled. No reply. "Tch... where are I?" he asked himself. Looking around, Yuuya noticed a door tucked away in the corner. Striding over to the door, he placed his hand on the handle, intent on sliding it open.

"Well aren't you just adorable~?"

Kizami froze. A low, seductive female voice echoed throughout the room. "You think you can actually reach your friends! Awww, that's so cute!" The voice continued. Frowning, Kizami turned around, and was shocked to see a bright crimson flame floating in front of him. Even more shocking was that the voice seemed to be coming from the flame itself. "What are..." he muttered.

"Oh don't worry hun! I ain't gonna hurt you. I'm just a simple ghost," the flame said casually. "Since you're cute, I'll give you a bit of info. On the house!" Yuuya raised an eyebrow.

"Info?" He repeated.

"Yep! Just so you know..." the spirit began. "There is absolutely no way of finding your friends! Or a way out!" The ghost said cheerfully.

Kizami frowned. "How exactly do you know this..." he asked.

"Oh come on! I thought it was obvious!" The ghost replied. "One someone sets foot in this place, they are doomed to die. Doesn't matter how long it takes, or what exactly kills them. But it's gonna happen!"

Yuuya cast his gaze towards the floor, mulling over that the ghost said. "I do hope that you die soon though..." the spirit said. Yuuya looked up, and was surprised to see that the ghost no longer resemble a flame, but a human, enveloped in a bright red arua. It was female, with cold grey eyes hidden behind a black pair of glasses, long black hair, and, oddly, red lipstick. She was wearing a rather short skirt, and what appeared to be a black jumper. "I would love to get to know a pretty young thing like you... ahahahah!" She cackled, a dark smirk on her lips. With that, she slowly faded from view, leaving behind a shocked Yuuya Kizami.

(Later)

 _"Doesn't matter how long it takes, or what exactly kills them. But it's gonna happen!"_

Those words echoed throughout Yuuya's mind as he walked through the dark halls of the school. The rest of the building seemed to be the same as the room he woke up in; dark, rotting, covered with holes. Occasionally he came across a corpse, though he got used to the them very quickly, and spent much of his time pondering the ghosts words.

"Doesn't matter how long it takes...or what exactly kills them...But it's gonna happen..." Kizami said, gaze focused on the ground in front of him.

 _So... everyone is doomed to die... then I guess it makes sense..._

 _It is a shame... I do not wish to perish at this stage in my life..._

 _Wait..._

 _If that is the case... if everyone does die..._

 _Then at some point... everyone shows their true self..._

 _And since it doesn't matter how a person dies..._

"Hello! Anyone! Hello!"

The sudden voice pulled Kizami from his thoughts. "Nari! Nana! Is anyone there!" The voice was female, and sounded rather young. It seemed to be coming from in front of him, and was getting closer.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" Yuuya called out. A high pitched gasp reached his ears.

"H-Hello...?"

A small, young, and extremely nervous girl shuffled into view. She had short, cropped gray hair, and big, puffy blue eyes slightly bloodshot with tears. The uniform she wore was unfamiliar, consisting of a light brown skirt and blazer.

"Ah, thank goodness!" Yuuya said, instinctively turning up his charm to eleven as he subtly deepened his tone and broke into a soft, relieved smile. "I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever find someone else!"

The young girl looked up at the towering, chiseled man before her and almost immediately began blushing.

 _Heh... she's a weak one... cue sob story in 3... 2... 1..._

"O-Oh! Excuse m-me... sir..." she spluttered. "I-I was just looking for my... my friends!"

"Really? I was doing the same. Searching this desolate land of corpses is proving to be extremely difficult though..." Kizami said, bending over to her level, keeping his calming, trustworthy mask. "Why don't we search together? In this world ruled by dead, the living surely must stick together, right?"

"I-I... I..." The girl said, looking away, blushing. Yuuya inwardly smirked. He already knew her answer.

"Y-Yes please! Help me find my friends!" The girl said, still a deep red. "My name is... Chihaya..."

 _Chihaya... a first name? Pff... she already trusts someone she's just met this much? Pathetic..._

"Chihaya, huh?" Yuuya said, beaming kindly. "My name is Yuuya. Let's find our friends together, shall we?"

 _I want to kill her._

Less than five minutes after beginning their search, Yuuya already wanted to snap her neck. Chihaya did absolutely nothing but whimper at the shadows and clung to his side like a filthy, wet dog. It wouldn't surprise him if her "friends" in reality abandoned her because she was so useless.

"Hmm... It doesn't seem like we'll get anywhere by just walking aimlessly..." Kizami muttered.

"Ah! W-Well, I do have this key..." Chihaya said, reaching into her skirt pocket and pulling out a small key with the tag "Infirmary" attached to it.

 _She had the key this whole time and only mentioned it now?!_

"Well done, Chihaya!" Yuuya congratulated, rubbing Chihaya's head softly, causing her to blush once again. "Come on! Let's start our proper search there!"

Chihaya nodded, a disgustingly pleased smile on her face. "Yeah!" She said, and the two set off once again.

 _If she waits this long to divulge useful information, then she's just going to be even more of a weight. I need to ditch her if I'm to get out._

 _..._

 _Wait... there... is no way out. That's what that spirit said. It's doesn't matter when or how you die, you just are..._

"Umm... Mr. Yuuya? Why have we stopped?"

 _And that means... that since you are going do die anyway..._

"M-Mr. Yuuya?! W-What's with that... that smile?"

 _There's no difference between being killed by the school..._

"W-Wait! What are you doing?! N-No! Please!"

 _ **Or being killed by me...**_

"AAAHHHHHHH! NOOOO!"

"W-What was that?!" Ohkawa asked, frantically looking around. "I-It came from ahead! Come on. They might be in trouble!" Katayama said as he dashed forward, followed by Ohkawa.


	36. EX CHAPTER 2: ONII-CHAN

_EX CHAPTER 2_

 _ONII-CHAN_

"O-Onii-chan..." Yuka Mochida whimpered, clutching her brother's hand tightly, closing her eyes tightly.

"Shhh... don't worry, Yuka..." Satoshi reassured her as the siblings edged around the rotting corpse splayed out in the middle of the hallway. "Just don't open your eyes."

Yuka let out a slight sob, but followed her brother's advice, relying on him to lead the way.

"Okay, we're past it. You can open your eyes now," Satoshi said, kneeling down to his sister's eye level.

"O-Okay..." Yuka replied softly, opening her eyes and gazing into her brother's, who gave her reassuring smile.

"It's alright, all we need to do is meet up with the rest of the gang. Once we do that, we can start looking for a way out. Chin up, alright Yuka?" Satoshi said, rubbing her head.

Yuka looked down slightly, blushing slightly. "Y-Yes, onii-chan!" She responded, giving a nod, as well as her own small smile. Grinning, Satoshi once again took her hand and began walking down the hallway. After a few seconds of silence however, Yuka started talking again.

"Umm... Onii-chan?" She asked, looking , away slightly.

"Hmm? What is it, Yuka?" Satoshi responded.

"Well... how are we going to even get out?"

Satoshi opened his mouth. Then closed it after a few seconds. Then opened it again.

"Well, once we find everyone else, I'm sure that we'll be able to find figure something out. Until then, we should probably just focus of finding everyone else," he eventually settled on. Yuka hesitated, before giving a quick nod.

"Don't worry," Satoshi continued as they walked down the hallway. "I'm sure that Morishige could come up with a way to get out all on his own. And of course, Shinohara and the class rep probably won't rest until they get out, neither will Yoshiki."

"Ahh, and let's not forget Naomi. She's always been a great rock, a realist. If nobody else can, she'll be the one to push us on," Satoshi said, a slightly dreamy look in his eyes. "We'll definitely find her and the others, and we'll find a wa-"

"O-Onii... Chan..."

"Huh?" Satoshi stopped. Yuka was staring straight ahead, her teeth chattering in terror, and her grip on her brother's hand deathly.

"Yuka! What's wro-?" Satoshi began, before he followed Yuka's line of sight, and the rest of his sentence died in his throat.

It was Naomi. She was on the ground, motionless. Dead. Her body was still extraordinarily fresh, probably only having died a few minutes ago. Her neck was snapped, bent at an impossible angle as a pool of blood congregated around her face.

"Na... Naomi...?" Satoshi whispered, his eyes wide. "No... that's... not..." he fell to his knees, staring with an almost blank look in his eyes as he continued to mutter random words.

"N-Naomi..." Yuka whimpered, turning away from the body and instinctively reaching for her brother.

 _ **WHACK!**_

"...huh?" Yuka said as Satoshi suddenly pitched forward and fell flat on his face without a word. His light brown hair was all of a sudden stained a dark crimson. Still having yet to process what was happening, Yuka turned.

There, lording over her was a tall, dark shadow, dressed completely in black, and wielding an old, bloody sledgehammer. Blinking, Yuka looked back at Satoshi, and then, the gears in her head finally started to tick.

"O... Onii-Chan...?"

 _ **WHACK!**_

"... Oooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa..."


	37. EX CHAPTER 3: LUSUS NATURAE

_EX CHAPTER 3_

 _LUSUS NATURAE_

"Well, this is certainly unsightly..." Yuuya muttered to himself. Before him was, for all intensive purposes, a normal, if not greatly decayed wall. However, given the massive, bloody mess of guts and entrails smeared across it, the comment could be quite easily justified.

"You must have been slammed against the wall at high speed from this other end..." Kizami said, looking back at the other end of the hallway. "No human could commit such an atrocious act of mutilation... It must have been a spirit of some kind. Quite sadistic, these dead beings."

"Ha... I suppose you'll be one of them now," Yuuya noted, smirking slightly as he turned back to look at the mess. "I do wonder... what mangled form your spirit shall take? Perhaps it will simply be a moving hunk of intestines. How disappointing for you, Miss..." he said, lowering his gaze. Noticing a name tag at his feet, he reached down to pick it up. "... Suzumoto..."

 _SNAP!_

"Hmm?" Yuuya said, turning around as a sound unlike that of a picture being taken reached his ears. This was soon followed by the sound of approaching footsteps. Raising an eyebrow, Yuuya though about remaining where he was and facing the photo-snapping approacher, but something in the back of his head told him to step back and observe, and thus quickly and quietly stepped around the corner, slipping the name tag into his pocket.

Hiding there, Kizami held his breath as he heard the person take a masculine sounding gasp - presumably seeing Suzumoto's corpse - and suddenly dash forward, stopping right in front of it and less then a few feet from where Yuuya was standing. Curious, he inched closer to the corner and peaked around, looking at the gawking young man whilst remaining hidden.

The man was fairly tall, and had pale blue hair with cold green eyes behind shining glasses. He was wearing an unfamiliar gray uniform with his name tag pinned to his chest, and he clasped a silver phone in his right hand. His expression was one of extreme shock and surprise, however, as Yuuya watched, that horrified expression slowly shifted as a wide grin spread across his face.

"Ahaha... Ahahahahahha! AHAHAHAHAHA!" He suddenly cackled, his eyes wide with a perverse fascination as he stared at the corpse. "My my my! What... what an exquisite work of art! I've never seen anything like it!" He gasped, his face disturbingly flushed as he ran his gaze up and down his find. His gaze vaguely reminded Kizami of when Shimada would stare at Kirisaki, and felt a mix of amusement and mild distaste. A grin of his own began to form.

By now, the man had flipped open his phone and was snapped dozens of pictures from a variety of different angles. "This form is angelic... Like crimson rose petals sewn across this land of corpses! I can't get enough of you, my dear..."

While the man kept talking, Yuuya slowly began creeping back until he reached the turnoff for the next corner, then began walking in place, slowly at first, the n raising the volume of his steps before walking back towards the man and the corpse.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" He asked innocently as he appeared around the corner. The man had obviously heard him, and his phone was hidden away, his face a cold mask.

"Hmmm? It seems I've finally chanced upon someone else," he said. Frowning, Kizami looked at Suzumoto, then sighed.

"Blast... I'm back here..." he muttered, an irritated look on his face, before focusing on the second man, and giving a soft smile. "Ah! Another survivor. It's been an age since I've seen another living person.

"... Indeed," the other one said, giving Yuuya a distrustful look. Years of acting had given him a keen eye for people not telling the truth, and although this strange, tall man seemed genuine, there was something off about him.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Yuuya Kizami, an 11th grader at Byakudan Senior High. Who are you?" Kizami asked, his smile still present. The man stared him down briefly, before giving in.

"... Sakutaro Morishige. Kisaragi Academy," he replied. "Nice to meet you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm looking for someone," he finished, making to move around Yuuya.

"Looking for someone? Perhaps I can help. Who are you looking for?" Yuuya offered, standing in Morishige's way. The shorter man narrowed his eyes slightly, before pulling out his phone. After shifting through it for a second, he showed Yuuya the screen, which displayed a picture of a smiling young girl with brown hair, a pink hair pin and a sailor uniform.

"Her name is Mayu Suzumoto. Have your seen her?" Morishige asked. Kizami looked at the photo. She didn't seem to resemble any of the corpses that he'd...

... wait.

"Did you say... Mayu Suzumoto?" Kizami asked. Morishige gave a nod in response. Yuuya stared at the young man with his eyes wide, taking great care not to look over at the corpse. What he couldn't do however, was suppress the massive grin that spread across his cheeks.

"Huh?" Morishige said, stepping back slightly. "What's so-"

"Pfffff... hahaha! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Yuuya suddenly burst out laughing, clutching his gut as he bent over. "AHAHAHAHAHAHA! Suzu... Suzumoto! HEHEHE!"

"What... What's so funny?!" Morishige demanded.

"You... you haven't... you haven't the slightest clue do you?! This is rich! FUCKING RICH!" Yuuya giggled madly, before letting out another blast of cackles. "AHAHAHAHAHAHA! AHEHEHEHEHE!"

"What the...?! A damn psychopath!" Morishige said, before turning heel and running back the way he came, stalked by Kizami's demented screams.

"AAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! YES MORISHIGE! GO! FIND YOUR LOST ROSE! I GUARANTEE A TRULY JOYOUS REUNION! HEHEHEHEHEHE!


End file.
